It’s not uncommon at all for women to look for perinatal psychologists in Brunswick or wherever they call home. Perinatal mental health refers to all issues regarding the emotional and psychological well-being of women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Perinatal counsellors work closely with women to support them in the difficult journey to parenthood and the many oftentimes understated mental health challenges that they face.

For those who are unsure, below are some of the most important reasons why perinatal care matters, and why more women should consider seeking this kind of counselling and support during pregnancy, regardless of how they might initially feel as things start.

1. The Sheer Range of Potential Mental Health Issues is So Large

The goal of perinatal counselling is to help expecting mothers and those who have recently given birth to overcome the many mental health problems they may encounter. The list of such problems is actually quite exhaustive, and includes (but is not limited to): strong feelings of sadness or hopelessness, irritability or anger problems, trouble sleeping, intrusive thoughts of dangerous and even deadly scenarios involving their baby, loss of appetite, depression, feelings on inadequacy, hallucinations and more.

Given that all pregnancies are at least a little different, women may face any one or more of these problems, and all to different degrees. Therefore, having an expert perinatal care specialist on hand to monitor and support mental health needs is extremely important and valuable.

2. Self-Care is Rendered Incredibly Difficult

For all of the problems we’ve mentioned above, as well as the many others women may face when pregnant or having just given birth, self-diagnosis and care really isn’t an option. Perinatal specialists do their best to educate pregnant women about the risks so that they can be more aware of what’s happening to them, but it’s never a guarantee that all mental health problems will be spotted and taken care of.

Many of the issues involved will see women descend into various kinds of vicious cycles where they will struggle to emerge from it entirely alone. They will at least need support from their family and friends, but ideally the support of a professional who can help them better understand their feelings, that they’re normal and nothing to be scared or alarmed about.

3. The Timing of These Mental Health Issues is Unpredictable

When it comes to mental health issues, there’s virtually no guidance on timing, impact or how long they will last if and when they do hit. People react differently, and cope in different ways. Having a professional perinatal counsellor on hand is therefore important as they can better assess how serious the situation is and the best timeframe and strategy to use in helping them emerge from those issues.

4. The Effects of These Problems Can Spill into a New Family Life

If mental health problems during and just after pregnancy go untreated, their lingering after-effects can continue into their postpartum period, sometimes with tragic results. Therefore, perinatal care that can help mitigate the worst of it, and help families find happiness, stability and comfort in their new lives, is critically important.

Those who ignore the power of proper perinatal care may find themselves regretting that mindset if and when something terrible happens to the mother and child as a result of a mental health breakdown.

5. It’s Important for Fighting Mental Health Stigmas

Finally, another reason to promote and celebrate perinatal care and what it does is that it’s another area of mental healthcare that is helping to fight long-standing stigmas surrounding mental health, especially in women’s healthcare. It’s not right that women are deemed hysterical, or diagnosed to have things like “pregnancy brain.” This is a serious health issue and should be treated as such.