Looking through a pregnancy and childbirth book for "intrusive thoughts" is likely to be a fruitless endeavor. Unwanted intrusive thoughts are the big secret new mothers rarely talk about. New studies find that these thoughts are universal. Almost all new mothers have unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs).
Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts Postpartum
In stories and movies, the postpartum period is often painted as an idyllic time for mothers and their newborns. Madonna-esque pictures of mothers cradling their newborns don't hint at the secret thoughts the radiant mother may be having of harm coming to her baby.
According to a study done by the Women's Health Research Institute, virtually all new mothers have thoughts of harm coming to their infants such as their babies suffocating in their sleep, falling while holding them, and other disturbing images. Fully half have thoughts of intentionally harming their infants. These thoughts include dropping them off of a balcony or window, puncturing their soft spot, and inappropriate touching of the baby's genitals. According to the study no matter how horrific the content, these thoughts are not associated with an increased risk of violence, and appear to be universal.
Postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
The difference between normal unwanted intrusive thoughts postpartum and postpartum OCD is the frequency and effect it has on the new mother's life. Sufferers of postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder become consumed with their thoughts. These thoughts cause extreme anxiety which may result in symptoms of OCD.
Mothers may exhibit rituals such as repeated hand washing (a common compulsion if the thoughts are of their infant getting sick), repeated checking on their infant (if the mother worries about SIDS or suffocation while sleeping) and so on. Other symptoms of OCD such as avoidance behavior (not being willing to carry the baby up and down stairs because of fears of falling, being unwilling to go out in public because of fears the baby will be kidnapped, etc), anxiety, fear, and depression may be experienced. Unwanted intrusive thoughts can be upsetting and disturbing to new mothers, but the experience is fleeting and infrequent. Mothers suffering from postpartum OCD experience UITs often and it interferes with their ability to function.
Postpartum Depression and Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts
Most new mothers are familiar with the term "baby blues." Approximately one in five women will experience varying degrees of depression in the period following childbirth. Plummeting levels of progesterone and estrogen, coupled with adapting to a new body, new motherhood responsibilities and changes in lifestyle may trigger a biochemical imbalance causing postpartum depression. Lee Baer, in The Imp of the Mind notes that unwanted intrusive thoughts are common in sufferers of postpartum depression. Signs of postpartum depression symptoms include:
- bouts of crying
- disinterest in normal activities
- disinterest in the newborn
- lack of appetite
- mood swings
- sleep problems
- trouble concentrating
- unwanted intrusive thoughts
Postpartum Depression and OCD Treatments
The treatment of postpartum depression and PPOCD is varied. Some new mothers may receive anti-obsessive or anti-depressive medications. They may have medication in combination with therapy based approaches. These include new mother, PPOCD, and postpartum depression support groups, one-on-one counseling, behavioral modification, and skill based therapies which give new mothers counseling on what to do when they have obsessive thoughts or depressive feelings. The OCD treatments and treatment of postpartum depression prescribed will be personalized for each individual situation.
Unwanted intrusive thoughts postpartum can be frightening and can cause anxiety for new parents, but in the absence of other OCD or postpartum depression symptoms, the experience is normal. No one knows why new mothers have these thoughts, but perhaps it is mother nature's way of reminding mothers of how fragile and vulnerable their infants are to their parents and the outside world.
Sources:
Baer, Lee. The Imp of the Mind (2002) Plume Books, NY pp. 20
The Women's Health Research Network
Abramowitz, JS. Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms in Pregnancy and the Puerperium J Anxiety Disord. 2003;17(4):461-78.
Laura Holst - Laura Holst is a substitute teacher and writer. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and is ...
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