Pregnancy and Postnatal

At SO Psychology, we are committed to helping individuals navigate difficulties experienced during the perinatal period. 

The perinatal period includes the time of conception - pregnancy, through to a year after giving birth. 

There can be a lot of challenges during this time. This might be around the decision to be a parent, difficulties experienced conceiving, perinatal loss, or managing anxiety and depression, just to name a few.  

In the postnatal period (once we have had our babies), life becomes a bit of a rollercoaster. Our hormones are continuing to fluctuate, we are trying to learn how to manage life with a newborn, manage other family commitments, maybe think about heading back to work, or even reassessing what we want to do. Combine that often with a lack of sleep and it might feel pretty overwhelming. Anxiety and depression are common in the postnatal period. At SO Psychology, we use CBT and ACT approaches to help you get back on your feet and do the things that matter to you. 

The struggle to conceive, infertility and assisted reproduction (ART) is a very real and common scenario for many individuals and couples. 

The ups and downs of assisted reproduction can be exhausting, and we often feel a wide range of emotions. Whether it be joy, anxiety or grief and loss, at SO Psychology we provide a safe and comfortable space to talk this through, alongside providing you with strategies to help manage this time in your life. 

Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) occurs during pregnancy and/or the first 12 months following birth. 

For those with perinatal OCD, intrusive thoughts will often arise with a focus on safety concerns related to the baby (examples such as harm to the baby, worry about the baby becoming ill just to name a few). Intrusive thoughts are common during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, however if compulsions are present to relieve the distress that these thoughts cause, you don't need to try to manage this alone. At SO Psychology, Shelley has a special interest and experience in treating OCD, including perinatal OCD. 

Challenges that arise from Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are common.

We know that ART is stressful in itself, yet combine that with OCD and the struggle can feel even more difficult. When engaging in ART, individuals with OCD will often focus on their own health and engage heavily in checking behaviours (compulsions). As with all OCD themes, at SO Psychology, we will use Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) to break the OCD cycle. 

The whole journey to motherhood can bring on complicated feelings. While you might be experiencing joy with the changes in your life, it is also incredibly common to experience feelings of grief or loss when you think about how much your life has changed and miss your life pre-baby. Whatever difficulty you are facing, you don't have to do it alone.