perinatal care and support

Perinatal Psychotherapy focuses on the period from the desire of pregnancy to the first year of the baby’s life and offers psychological support to women and/or partners confronting various challenges during this period that could include fertility grief, perinatal loss, traumatic birth, prematurity, anxiety and depression, social isolation, relationship problems, postpartum psychosis.

Perinatal psychotherapy emphasizes in the understanding of each woman’s individual context and history and the various perspectives of the woman, the baby, and the partner.

Becoming a mother is considered a highly enjoyable moment and a reason for a woman to feel pride and special. It is a process signaling a major transition for a woman; a transition from the current reality to a new one, from the known to the unknown.

Becoming a mother is a complex process of change that includes both positive and negative aspects, as well as a period of vulnerability on a physical, emotional, and social level. The way each woman responds to this new reality relies on various factors and circumstances. The individual’s personality and life history, past and current life situation, the maternal adaptation, the infant’s characteristics, the experience of pregnancy and birth are factors that affect the conception, the pregnancy, the birth, the parenting, and the risk of developing mental health problems.

While many mothers during the perinatal period will experience mood changes, the so-called “baby blues”, approximately 10% to 15% of women during pregnancy and 21% of women during the postpartum period will experience some form of perinatal disorder. Even though perinatal mental health issues are common, people hesitate to talk about it. A “gray cloud” of shame, embarrassment, and loneliness covers women who confront these symptoms, which is not consistent with the “pink cloud” that women should feel when they become mothers. There is no single cause for perinatal mental health problems, but one thing is certain: it is not the fault of the mother. She didn’t do anything to “get it”.

Having a perinatal mental health problem does not mean that the mother is failing as a parent. It is a challenging and scary condition, but with the proper professional help, the mother can recover, having built a stronger self.