Perinatal Anxiety

Anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum

About 6% of pregnant women and 10% of postpartum women develop anxiety. They may experience anxiety alone or together with depression.

Some of the symptoms of prenatal and postpartum anxiety include:

• Persistent worry

• Racing thoughts

• Disturbances of sleep and appetite

• Nervousness

• Inability to sit still

• Feeling that something bad is going to happen

• Physical symptoms, such as dizziness, hot flashes, palpitations, numbness, and nausea

Some of the risk factors for perinatal anxiety and panic include:

• A personal or family history of anxiety

• Previous perinatal depression or anxiety

• Thyroid imbalance