Postpartum

Postnatal Counselling – help for postnatal depression, postnatal anxiety, OCD, adjustment to parenthood, birth trauma, unsettled or sickly baby, attachment issues and more – we can help…

“I didn’t know it would be this hard…” ~ Julia, 23

“It didn’t occur to me that I wouldn’t know what to do.  I thought it was meant to be natural.” ~Tara, 36

“Other Mums don’t seem to struggle with motherhood as much as I do.  They seem to be more natural.  Is it me? Or is it my baby? Or are the other Mums struggling too?” ~ Fiona, 29

“I blamed my baby for how depressed I felt.  I thought if he would just sleep more I’d feel better.” ~ Erin, 32

Almost 80,000 Australian women suffer depression during pregnancy or following the birth of their child (perinatal period) each year.  Fathers are not immune.  Research suggests more than half of fathers with a depressed partner will be clinically depressed themselves.

It doesn’t have to be this way.  But we know it can be hard to acknowledge you are struggling.

Don’t Suffer in Silence…

At the Centre for Perinatal Psychology, we can help you be the best parent you can.  We explore how to meet your own needs while meeting the needs of your baby.  We understand how debilitating depression and anxiety can be when you have a little one to care for.  We work with you to improve your mental health and your relationship with your baby.  There are safe and effective treatments available, and that’s what we specialise in.

The ‘shock of the new’…

With all the changes during this time, it’s hard to know whether your feelings are ‘normal’.  It takes time to adjust and transition to your new role; you need time to feel comfortable and find your way.

Amid the chaos there is a collision between expectation and reality – how you thought (or hoped) it might be and how it is.  It is natural to hold fantasies about how you hope to be as a mother or father – but the reality can be different. You may have also imagined your baby or toddler in certain ways and the reality is different.  Or maybe you thought it would be easier – the reality of parenting can be unexpected.

Many parents speak of a wish to parent differently to how they were raised.  There may be things about your upbringing that you want to bring forward into your own parenting, and others that you want to leave firmly in the past and not repeat.  We can explore these themes with you as you transition.

Common reasons for parents seeking help in the first year postpartum:

  • Postnatal depression
  • Postnatal anxiety
  • Adjustment to parenthood
  • Adjustment following a premature or multiple birth
  • Difficulties feeling attached or bonded with your baby
  • Unsettled or sickly infants
  • Sadness at early breastfeeding cessation
  • Lack of enjoyment in parenting
  • Lack of bond with baby
  • Desire to understand and foster the emotional life of your baby
  • Feeling irritable or guilty
  • Feeling overwhelmed (“This is too much”)
  • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
  • Maintaining couple intimacy in the transition to parenthood
  • Consulting about parenting practices and approaches

Remember, you are not alone.  We all need additional support during this time.

Contact us Today

Find a psychologist near you that can help with your postpartum experience.  You can search by Location.

Call us on 1300 852 660 or contact us to make an appointment or enquiry.

Find A Perinatal Psychologist Near You

From the Blog

Helping You Towards Parenthood