Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dealt with a LOT of anxiety during my first pregnancy. I got pregnant via IVF, after several years of infertility treatments, and I was convinced something would go wrong, even though both the baby and I were perfectly healthy. I wish I had talked to someone about it. I feel that anxiety eventually led to a diagnosis of PPD/PPA after she was born.

Good to hear all is seemingly ok with your baby though? Im just worried if I have caused an irreversible damage during development of brain with all my heighted anxiety during first and well into second tri. Feeling much better this week with the help of a therapist and all the support I have been getting on here, plus a solid Dr app. Going to continue therapy.

Anonymous wrote:I know this is probably obvious, but has your doctor or therapist advised you to just stop reading about pregnancy/birth? Without fail, all the "research" I did during pregnancy was useless to me and caused me a lot of stress.

Anonymous wrote:I had pre-partum depression due to legitimate things going on with testing on me and my baby (none which actually materialized) and my baby was born and still is perfectly healthy, very low key/laidback, and happy. That experience actually contributed to why I think I’m so much more happy, go-with-the-flow, and an honestly better new mom than I would’ve been. Pregnancy itself completely rocked my world and having a newborn is actually nothing compared to what I went through prior to birth. When my child was born it was like a light switched and once I knew she was healthy I feel like life went back to normal (which most people with newborns don’t say!).

Anonymous wrote:I had very high anxiety during my entire pregnancy. I think among the billion things I constantly googled during my pregnancy "affect of stress/anxiety on fetus" must have been in the top ten. My baby was born full term, healthy, and is the happiest, sweetest little girl. She does have a moderately anxious personality, but obviously so do I. It doesn't inhibit her ability to have fun or make friends, though.

I think in retrospect, a lot of my anxiety was due to isolation and not have anyone who I could usefully discuss my anxiety with. My husband's father was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer when I was pregnant, and I was afraid to burden him with anything else. My mom and sister were a source of anxiety, not people I could confide in. And I just didn't have friends at the time who would have been able to listen to me.

I saw a therapist after I gave birth for PPD and I think I would have really benefitted from seeing one while pregnant, too.

Anonymous wrote:I struggle with intense anxiety/OCD. Are you checking, OP?

3 pregnancies with intense anxiety, and 3 totally NT kids. In fact, the one where I was the MOST affected, the kid is as chill and relaxed as a Maui surfer. It’s like I took his ability to feel anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:I dealt with a LOT of anxiety during my first pregnancy. I got pregnant via IVF, after several years of infertility treatments, and I was convinced something would go wrong, even though both the baby and I were perfectly healthy. I wish I had talked to someone about it. I feel that anxiety eventually led to a diagnosis of PPD/PPA after she was born.

Anonymous wrote:I struggled with anxiety before, during, and after. I came off my SSRI (for anxiety) prior to conception because I did not want to be on medication. However I do acknowledge that significant anxiety might warrant pharmacotherapy during pregnancy if it is causing significant distress. I agree with PP to seek out support and resources now because the anxiety post-partum was far worse.

Anonymous wrote:Crazy high anxiety during the first trimester. I think part of it was discovering that I have tokophobia, but there was more to it — mourning the anticipated loss of identity and a lifestyle that I love, etc.

I started therapy but what really brought peace of mind was to find an OB who agreed to an elective c-section. Also, my hormones changed and in my second trimester I was surprisingly very calm and chill and serene.

I’m in my third trimester now and I am starting to have weird dreams (in which I feel threatened/haunted), so perhaps the anxiety is subconscious; I don’t know what to make of it. I am volunteering in a John Hopkins study of women’s reproductive mental health and we’ll see what it reveals.

Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:I am a genetic counselor. I was straight up terrified the entire time because I know too much. Healthy baby. You’ll fine fine

Anonymous wrote:Crazy high anxiety during the first trimester. I think part of it was discovering that I have tokophobia, but there was more to it — mourning the anticipated loss of identity and a lifestyle that I love, etc.

I started therapy but what really brought peace of mind was to find an OB who agreed to an elective c-section. Also, my hormones changed and in my second trimester I was surprisingly very calm and chill and serene.

I’m in my third trimester now and I am starting to have weird dreams (in which I feel threatened/haunted), so perhaps the anxiety is subconscious; I don’t know what to make of it. I am volunteering in a John Hopkins study of women’s reproductive mental health and we’ll see what it reveals.

Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:I struggled with anxiety before, during, and after. I came off my SSRI (for anxiety) prior to conception because I did not want to be on medication. However I do acknowledge that significant anxiety might warrant pharmacotherapy during pregnancy if it is causing significant distress. I agree with PP to seek out support and resources now because the anxiety post-partum was far worse.