Topic hub

Postpartum anxiety, panic attacks and intrusive thoughts

Anxiety after birth can feel intense in your body, thoughts and emotions. This hub offers careful guidance and practical exercises for the moment you are in.

Important: If your thoughts or impulses frighten you, you do not feel safe or you feel you may lose control, seek professional help in your area now.

Start here

Find your bearings now

  1. Name the moment: ‘This is anxiety, not truth.’
  2. Find five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste.
  3. Breathe out slowly, for longer than you breathe in.
  4. Write the thought down and share it with someone safe or a professional instead of carrying it alone.

Related topic hubs

If low mood lasts, start with baby blues or postpartum depression. For specific breathing techniques, visit breathing exercises for pregnancy and birth.