If you are pregnant, you probably have heard from friends, family, your doula, or your OB-GYN about the possibility of experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression after delivery. You may have even considered that you might reach out to an online therapist after your baby arrives if you feel like you are struggling with your mental health. But beginning to see a therapist while you’re pregnant can have significant benefits throughout your pregnancy and in your postpartum period.
Here are four benefits of seeing an Online therapist during your pregnancy.
1. Support During a Time of Change
Pregnancy can be exciting, but it is also a time filled with lots of change. The physical changes in your body during pregnancy can be hard to cope with. Even before the baby arrives, your life during pregnancy begins to change as you find yourself more restricted. The changes may feel overwhelming and hard to cope with. Seeing an online therapist during pregnancy can help you process your thoughts and feelings about the changes and assist you in working through things when they come up.
2. Preparation for Anticipated Arrival
Preparing for your delivery and the arrival of your little one may feel overwhelming, scary, or uncertain. If you’ve had a prior pregnancy that resulted in a traumatic birth, you may feel triggered when thinking about another delivery. Whether you are nothing but excited with high expectations for how your delivery will go, or if you are worried and anxious about the various scenarios that can happen with either spontaneous labor or an induced one, working with an online therapist during your pregnancy can help you work through your anxieties and examine your expectations in a way that enables you to prepare for several different possibilities in delivery.
3. Decrease in Risk of PMADs After Delivery
You may not necessarily experience postpartum anxiety or depression during your pregnancy. But, that does not mean you won’t potentially develop postpartum anxiety or postpartum depression after your baby arrives. Research has shown that women and birthing people seeking therapy during pregnancy significantly decrease their risk of developing a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) postpartum period. Taking care of your mental health through online therapy is a way of caring for yourself not only now but in the future, after your baby arrives.
4. Support System Already Established
The arrival of a new baby can bring sweet, tender moments. But, it can also be very overwhelming mentally, physically, and emotionally. It can be hard at times to know what you need help with, how to ask for help, or where to even look for it. If you begin to experience PMAD in the postpartum period, you may feel like you want to talk with an online therapist. But, you may also feel almost paralyzed about where to start to find a therapist. All because you already feel overwhelmed.
By starting to work with an online therapist during your pregnancy, you will already have the support of a counselor established and ready to go after your delivery. It will be easier to pick up where you left off before the birth. Then, you may be more likely to resume counseling sooner after delivery than if you were just looking to begin once your baby comes home.
Begin Working With An Online Therapist in Louisiana
You can start receiving support from the comfort of home from an online therapist, and I would be honored to be part of your support system. You can learn more about the benefits of working with an online therapist and the services I offer the residents of Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Florida. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation via phone or video
Start therapy from where you feel most safe and secure!
Other Services Offered With Ashley Comegys, LCSW
I’m happy to offer a number of mental health support to Colorado, Hawaii, and Louisiana residents. Mental health services offered include therapy for anxiety, online postpartum depression treatment, online postpartum support, and online depression treatment. I’m also happy to offer online grief counseling for women and online trauma treatment for women. Visit my blog or about page to learn more today!