Why We Shouldn’t Ignore Therapy As An Essential Part of Our Pregnancy Self-Care
Pregnancy can truly be a beautiful experience even with its ups and downs.
You can love every minute of your pregnancy, feel connected with the life growing within you, and be unequivocally thrilled for your future.
Not to mention that blissful, radiant pregnancy glow…
But let’s not forget about the other side of the coin.
Pregnancy can also be a very fragile time for some mothers. This might look like major physical discomfort as you grow and grow, dealing with a plethora of negative emotions, and just feeling unlike yourself making this period…hard.
It’s normal for pregnancy to be glorious, miserable, or even both.
So, how can you make this transition into motherhood a little smoother?
Treat yourself to some good ol’ therapy.
Even in the modern age, most initial reactions to therapy or counseling are pretty negative. People assume that things must be falling apart for you to have reached this point or that something is “wrong” with you to need this type of support.
That’s not always the case, and it doesn’t have to be the case for anyone seeking therapy.
Therapy is and can be preventative care — a way of taking care of ourselves proactively before a major life transition. This is especially true as we enter motherhood. In fact, this is one of the most important times to consider therapy for yourself because you know that life’s going to be different, stressful, and overwhelming for a while.
Therapy can be such a powerful tool for processing our emotions (the good and the bad) and feeling better about our pregnancy and postpartum.
Why We Encourage Therapy In Pregnancy
For some mamas, pregnancy and the prospect of motherhood can bring many conflicting feelings.
Facing life-changing events, or what we call life transitions, can be incredibly disruptive and disheartening. Sometimes it’s the stress of the change itself, and other times, the challenge can be the effects of retriggered past trauma. The trauma we experience as children and young adults oftentimes becomes a major factor in our journey as parents.
Resolving past pain is a crucial component of showing up as your best self for your kiddo.
You might know this now, but one of the biggest challenges is our accessibility and knowledge of the tools needed to properly address any deeper-rooted issues.
So why start therapy during your pregnancy?
Well, our mental health in those 9 months can affect everything from our bonding experience with baby to our postpartum period and beyond.
Mama, if this sounds like a lot...it definitely is! This isn’t meant to scare you away. This is meant to validate your feelings and empower you to prioritize your health. There’s help out there for you.
And you don’t need to be barely surviving to take advantage of it.
When things feel good and you want to feel even better, or when everything in life is starting to shift in ways that are unfamiliar and scary, therapy is the perfect option.
It’s okay to want — and need — more people on your side and resources in your back pocket.
What is Perinatal Therapy?
“Birth takes a woman’s deepest fears and shows her that she is stronger than them.” - Unknown
Perinatal therapy specifically focuses on helping clients who are pregnant or postpartum. It helps women and their partners work through the journey of pregnancy, preparing for postpartum, and adjusting to parenthood.
Perinatal therapists provide a safe space where you can speak freely about everything in your life without the fear of judgment. Through this process, you gain insight, self-awareness, and the ability to learn how to cope with stressors in healthy and constructive ways.
As moms-to-be, and really just as human beings, his can be an extremely helpful experience when feeling anxious or depressed.
In perinatal therapy, here are some things that you’ll be able to work through:
Preparing for postpartum
Talking through how to love and appreciate your bump if you’re having trouble seeing the changes in your body
Discussing external sources of stress such as political, racial, and societal issues (the pandemic is a perfect example of an external stressor that impacted so many families).
Learning ways to talk with your partner about your relationship and the future
Understanding why you’re fearful (or insert any other emotions here) of childbirth and becoming a parent
Developing coping mechanisms for past traumas so that you can process your past and recover
And so much more…
Therapy can help you unlock pieces of your heart, and it can also help show you just how strong you are.
What Are Some Barriers to Starting Therapy?
One of the biggest hesitations towards seeking mental health treatment is something mothers know all too well: shame and judgment.
It’s natural to want to hide what you’ve truly been facing at the prospect of criticism and unwanted advice.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are so many other reservations that stop us from seeking help:
The cost
Accessibility
Fear that it won’t work
Not enough time
Yet another appointment
Can’t find the right therapist or you’ve had a bad prior experience that’s a turn-off
Stigma surrounding going to therapy
Thinking that we can cope on our own
Discomfort about opening up your life to a complete stranger
Valid. Valid. Valid.
Mama, we get it - all of these reasons are completely understandable. Therapy really can feel uncomfortable at times, especially if you’ve never done it before.
While therapy may not be at the top of your to-do list, we really encourage you to consider it as early as pre-conception or a positive pregnancy test. There will always be exciting things that occupy your time like baby showers, nursery decorations, clothes shopping (so many cute things!), and getting pampered while you can!
And we hope you make time to face what might accompany all of that — the heavier and more complicated feelings, tasks, and experiences.
It can be hard to think of therapy as a form of self-care, especially if you’re overwhelmed or discouraged by the whole process.
But an important piece of self-care during your pregnancy is learning when to recognize — and understand — the situations that trigger you. Therapy helps you to:
Prepare for postpartum — one of the most transitional periods in a mother’s life.
Have the power to feel in control when everything feels like chaos.
Process relationship changes that occur in this time period.
Feel confident and motivated going into motherhood.
You’ll have the opportunity to learn positive ways of coping with distress with methods that encourage inward reflection and awareness.
You’ll be challenged to think and act differently than you have in the past. You’ll be comforted and heard in a place where you (and your therapist) will honor your experiences, emotions, and personal values. You’ll come out of it understanding just how important your wellness is for you and your baby.
These are the tools that you need in order to have the best possible outcomes in pregnancy and postpartum.
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Now to our newest addition for the Bloome blog: Mama self-care challenges!
When we’re not sure if we need therapy and question whether or not it actually helps, we’re more likely to ignore the possibility of it altogether. But sometimes, we have life situations that hurt us. And as a result, we need additional support to get through them in safe ways.
So, mama, we have a small challenge for you this week. Whether you’re expecting or already in your postpartum, we want you to take a second and check-in with yourself.
How are you feeling?
Where are you on your journey?
Then, ask yourself this: What do YOU need?
Is therapy something you would like to explore?
You don’t have to have a definitive Yes or No.
Just think about if it’s right for you.
And if you’re leaning more towards the Yes, but you’re just not sure where to start, just know we’ve got your back.
We offer free consultations just for you, especially when you’re just not sure what the next step should be. We can help talk you through it.
Always in your corner,
Team Bloome