What Is Perinatal Mental Health and Why Does It Matter?
You might be pregnant, postpartum, or somewhere in between—and still feel like your emotional world has turned upside down. Maybe you’re excited and grateful and deeply overwhelmed. Maybe your thoughts won’t slow down, or you’re carrying a quiet heaviness no one else can see. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and there’s a name for what you’re experiencing: perinatal mental health.
Let’s talk about what that really means, why it matters, and how support—especially through therapy—can make a meaningful difference.
Understanding Perinatal Mental Health
Perinatal mental health refers to your emotional and psychological well-being during the perinatal period—which includes pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the year after delivery. It also includes the emotional impact of miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, abortion, and other pregnancy-related experiences.
This time in your life isn’t just physically demanding—it’s emotionally complex. There are enormous shifts happening in your identity, your relationships, your body, and your nervous system. And while these changes are very real, they’re often invisible to the outside world.
Perinatal mental health matters because you matter. Your emotional well-being is not a side note to your physical care. It’s a vital part of your healing, your relationships, and your ability to feel connected to yourself during a major life transition.
It’s More Than Just Postpartum Depression
When most people hear "perinatal mental health," they think of postpartum depression. And while that is one important piece, it’s not the whole picture.
In fact, 1 in 5 women experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder—sometimes during pregnancy, sometimes after birth, sometimes both.
These experiences can include:
Anxiety: You might find yourself caught in loops of “what if” thinking, feeling hyper-alert, restless, or physically tense. You might lie awake thinking about all the things that could go wrong, even when you know it’s irrational.
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder): This might show up as disturbing, repetitive thoughts about something bad happening to your baby (e.g., “What if I drop the baby?”) paired with compulsive checking or mental rituals. These thoughts are deeply upsetting—but not reflective of who you are.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): Birth trauma, emergency interventions, or feeling out of control during labor can leave lasting emotional scars. You might experience flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, or a sense of numbness.
Grief and Loss: Whether due to miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, or ending a pregnancy, grief in the perinatal space is often minimized. But it deserves just as much care and validation.
Identity Shifts: Even in the absence of diagnosable conditions, many women feel a loss of self or confusion about who they are in the wake of becoming a parent.
These aren’t rare or extreme cases—they’re deeply human responses to an intense and vulnerable season of life. Naming them is the first step toward healing.
Why Perinatal Mental Health Matters
The changes of the perinatal period aren’t just emotional—they’re neurological and hormonal as well. After birth, hormones like estrogen and progesterone drop rapidly. Add in sleep deprivation and the physical stress of recovery, and your nervous system can end up in a state of near-constant alert.
That means:
You may feel anxious, wired, or overstimulated, even when nothing is “wrong”
You might struggle to rest, relax, or feel emotionally connected—even with people you love
You may feel guilty or ashamed for not feeling more joyful
When left unaddressed, these symptoms can deepen over time—impacting your well-being, your relationships, and your ability to be present. But when we support mental health during this time, we support your ability to connect, heal, and actually enjoy moments of calm and connection.
Why So Many Women Suffer in Silence
Despite how common these experiences are, many women never talk about them. Sometimes it’s fear of judgment. Other times, it’s not recognizing that what you’re feeling is valid and treatable.
You might worry that admitting you're struggling will make people think you’re not grateful. Or you’ve internalized the pressure to “bounce back” and keep it all together. Maybe you feel like asking for help would mean you’re failing.
But here's the truth:
You don’t have to hit rock bottom to deserve support. And reaching out doesn’t make you weak—it makes you wise.
What Perinatal Therapy with Jen Reisinger Looks Like
If you’re carrying emotional weight during pregnancy or postpartum—or after a loss—you don’t have to carry it alone. Therapy is a space where your experience can be seen, heard, and held with compassion.
At Reisinger Counseling, I offer warm, trauma-informed therapy for women navigating the perinatal period. Whether you’re feeling anxious, numb, exhausted, disconnected, or grieving, our work together begins with gentle curiosity—not judgment.
In perinatal therapy, you can explore:
What’s underneath your anxiety, sadness, or sense of disconnection
How to regulate your nervous system so you don’t feel so on edge
Grief, trauma, or fear that hasn’t had space to be fully processed
The unrealistic expectations you may be putting on yourself
Ways to feel more grounded, resourced, and like yourself again
EMDR and Therapy Intensives: Support That Meets You Where You Are
Some emotional wounds don’t respond to talk therapy alone. If you're carrying unresolved trauma from a previous birth, medical experience, or pregnancy loss, I offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)—a powerful approach that helps reprocess painful memories so they no longer feel overwhelming or “stuck.”
I also offer therapy intensives, which are extended sessions that allow us to go deeper, faster. These are especially helpful if you’re short on time, feeling stuck in weekly sessions, or needing support right now—not weeks from now.
Learn more about perinatal mental health support here!
When to Reach Out for Help
There’s no perfect time to start therapy. And there’s no symptom checklist you need to “qualify” for support.
That said, here are a few signs therapy might help:
You’re constantly anxious, wired, or on edge
You feel emotionally flat, disconnected, or numb
You’re overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts or disturbing mental images
You’ve experienced a pregnancy loss or birth trauma that still affects you
You don’t feel like yourself—and you’re not sure how to get back to her
Support isn’t just for crisis. It’s for building capacity, clarity, and connection.
You Deserve Support in This Season
The perinatal period can be beautiful. It can also be messy, overwhelming, and full of contradiction. Both things can be true.
You’re not meant to hold it all together on your own. You’re meant to be supported—emotionally, physically, and mentally.
Your well-being matters. And therapy can help you reconnect with yourself in a way that’s gentle, intentional, and healing.
Looking for a therapist in Washington who specializes in perinatal mental health support?
Give yourself the support you deserve as you navigate this complex season of life.
(Washington residents only)
About the author
Jen Reisinger, MA, LMHC is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in perinatal support and grief counseling. She offers in-person services in Gig Harbor, WA, and online throughout Washington state. She is trained in multiple modalities of healing, including EMDR, to best support clients who are looking to feel better faster.
