Pregnancy & PostpartumMood Disorders

Why Work With Sarah?

Working with someone who has spent their entire career supporting pregnant and new parents, means the work can start sooner, and the right approach is found faster. You don’t have to manage how you come across, or worry that what you’re feeling sounds too much or not enough. Dr. Allen has walked this path with hundreds of women. She understands and knows how to help you. That means the work can start sooner, and the right approach is found faster.

• Over 25 years of clinical experience, specializing in talk therapy with pregnant and postpartum women, with the full range of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
• Pioneer researcher in PTSD following childbirth and among the first in the field to study and document this condition in the mid-1990s
• Published research on postpartum depression and birth trauma, and has presented at national and international conferences
• Founding Director of the Postpartum Depression Alliance of Illinois (PPD IL), a statewide nonprofit providing support to pregnant and postpartum women and their families — a role that reflects a commitment to this area that goes well beyond clinical practice
• Over two decades as an advocate for greater awareness of maternal mental health at both the state and national level, because these conditions affect far more women than are ever diagnosed or treated
• Interviewed as a featured expert in many magazines, news paper and TV and online media outlets
• Primary treatment approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has the strongest evidence base of any psychological treatment for perinatal mood disorders
• Expert in accurate diagnosis across the full range of perinatal conditions, including anxiety, OCD, birth trauma, and PTSD, which are frequently misidentified as postpartum depression
• Gets to the root of what is driving how you are feeling and together you will develop the right tools and skills to help you make real, lasting change.
• Sees clients in person at her Northbrook, IL office and remotely via video or phone throughout Illinois, Florida, and the UK

Here is some more detailed information about the different types of maternal mental health issues that can occur:

Do You Have Pregnancy or Postpartum Depression?

It is common for 60–80% of new mothers to experience a period after birth commonly referred to as the baby blues — frequent tearfulness, mood swings, irritability, and a sense of vulnerability in the first few days after birth. The baby blues usually resolve on their own within two weeks with rest and support.

However, about 20% of new mothers find that these feelings don’t lift after two weeks, or that they are significantly more intense. If that is your experience, you may be dealing with postpartum depression — and you are not alone, and you are not to blame.

Postpartum depression can also begin during pregnancy itself. We used to focus almost entirely on the postpartum period, but research now shows that approximately 15% of women experience depression during pregnancy, with symptoms that can continue or worsen after birth.

What does pregnancy or postpartum depression actually feel like?

Depression during this period doesn’t always look like sadness. Many women describe feeling numb, empty, or simply not like themselves. You may recognize some of these experiences:

• Persistent low mood, tearfulness, or feeling emotionally flat
• Loss of motivation — even small tasks feel overwhelming
• Intense feelings of guilt, inadequacy, or shame about how you are feeling
• Difficulty bonding with your baby, or feeling disconnected from them
• Withdrawing from your partner, family, or friends
• Changes in appetite — eating much more or much less than usual
• Exhaustion that goes beyond normal new-mom tiredness
• Physical symptoms such as headaches or a racing heartbeat
• Feeling that your baby, your family, or everyone would be better off without you

That last symptom is one that many women feel too frightened or ashamed to mention. It is important to know that it is a symptom of depression, not a reflection of who you are as a mother and it needs to be taken seriously and treated.

How is postpartum depression different from the baby blues?

The baby blues are temporary and self-resolving, typically clearing within two weeks. Postpartum depression is more intense, lasts longer, and does not go away on its own without support. If your symptoms have continued past two weeks, or feel too heavy to manage, that is a clear signal to reach out for help.

What does treatment look like?

Postpartum depression is very treatable, and most mothers begin feeling meaningfully better within a few weeks of starting therapy. Treatment focuses on understanding what is driving your symptoms, developing strategies to manage guilt, anxiety, and overwhelm, and helping you reconnect with yourself and your baby. If you are still pregnant, starting therapy before your baby arrives can reduce the severity of postpartum symptoms significantly.

Read more about how therapy for pregnancy and postpartum anxiety with Dr. Sarah Allen works How Therapy Treats Pregnancy & Postpartum Depression.

Do You Have Pregnancy or Postpartum Anxiety?

Anxiety is actually the most common emotional difficulty experienced during pregnancy and the postpartum period, yet it receives far less attention than depression. Many women who are struggling with anxiety don’t recognize it as a clinical condition — they assume they are simply being a worrier, or that the constant fear and tension is just part of being a new mom. It isn’t, and you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

Pregnancy and postpartum anxiety affects approximately 1 in 5 women. It can begin during pregnancy or develop after your baby is born, and it can occur on its own or alongside postpartum depression.

What does pregnancy and postpartum anxiety actually feel like?

Unlike depression, which often involves feeling slowed down or withdrawn, anxiety tends to feel like your mind won’t switch off. You may recognize some of these experiences:

• Racing, repetitive thoughts that you can’t quiet, especially at night
• Constant worry that something is wrong with your baby, even when you’ve been reassured everything is fine
• An inability to relax even when your baby is sleeping and you have a chance to rest
• Physical symptoms such as a racing heart, tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, or feeling on edge
• Feeling like you need to check on your baby repeatedly, or difficulty handing your baby to anyone else
• Dreading situations you used to manage easily, like going out or being away from home
• Irritability and a short fuse that doesn’t feel like you

Many women with postpartum anxiety look fine from the outside as they seem to be coping, caring for their babies, and keeping things together. But internally they are exhausted, frightened, and running on adrenaline. If this sounds familiar, what you are experiencing has a name and it is very treatable.

How is postpartum anxiety different from normal new-mom worry?

Some worry is completely natural when you have a new baby. The difference with postpartum anxiety is that the worry is disproportionate, persistent, and gets in the way of your ability to function and enjoy life. If you find yourself unable to stop the thoughts even when you want to, or your worry is affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to care for yourself, that is a signal that you would benefit from professional support.

What does treatment for pregnancy and postpartum anxiety look like?

After over 25 years of working with pregnant and postpartum women, I have found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to be the most effective approach for anxiety during this period. CBT helps you identify the thought patterns driving your anxiety, challenge them, and develop practical strategies to break the cycle of worry. It is a short-term, skills-based approach — the goal is for you to leave therapy with tools you can use independently for life.

Read more about how therapy for pregnancy and postpartum anxiety with Dr. Sarah Allen works How To Manage Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety With Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).

But What I am Feeling Is Different From Being Depressed…

In recent years, research has reported that both pregnant and postpartum women can also experience symptoms and feelings that cannot be classified as depression or anxiety. These include obsessional compulsive disorder (OCD), which often involves intrusive thoughts about some type of harm coming to baby, postpartum bipolar depression and post-traumatic stress (PSTD) if a mother underwent a difficult birth experience.n

These disorders as well as postpartum depression and the emotional problems that present during pregnancy are now referred to as perinatal mood disorders (PPMDs), and statistics indicate that 10-20 percent of women experience one or more in some form. It’s important to note, however, that these statistics are probably lower than reality because women – perhaps even you – experience unnecessary guilt and shame and feel reluctant to tell anyone how they are really feeling.

More information about the different types of symptoms can be found in my free Guide To Pregnancy & Postpartum Stress, Anxiety & Depression which can be downloaded for free towards the bottom of the page and the many Pregnancy & Postpartum related Blog posts I have written.