9 Important Reasons Postpartum OCD Shouldn’t Scare You

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The first time I heard about postpartum OCD happened in a conversation with my old boss. She glazed over experiencing obsessive compulsive disorder after having her firstborn, and I’m ashamed to admit — I slightly chuckled in my head.

I knew NOTHING about postpartum. I didn’t think a person could suddenly develop OCD. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think or say to her.

So I nodded my head and changed the conversation.

Now, after experiencing birth trauma and postpartum anxiety, I cringe looking back at my response. My boss was a mom, opening up about her experience even though it’s seen as taboo. She needed someone to hear her, and I changed the subject.

It’s been over 4 years since that conversation, and I want to inform YOU about postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder. If you’re a mama, you need to be informed as it might affect you. If you’re a husband, a loved one, or a friend, you need to know so you don’t change the subject like I once did.

What is postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder?

Postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder involves obsessions and compulsions for moms that are often about their new baby. Although it is a form of anxiety disorder, it is often misdiagnosed as solely postpartum anxiety or depression and therefore goes wrongly treated or even untreated.

The obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions of new moms disrupt everyday life. The intrusive thoughts seem uncontrollable and constant.

Postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder is a serious condition. Treatment is necessary to decrease its severity and overcome the disorder.

Who can have postpartum OCD?

New moms and dads can both develop postpartum OCD. Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders affect 1 out of 7 women and 1 out of 10 men. These anxiety disorders can manifest as OCD tendencies with 3-5% of moms experiencing perinatal OCD.

Moms and dads are hesitant to open up about their symptoms because they fear being seen as “crazy” or a danger toward their baby, so these numbers are probably higher.

Do you have to have OCD before getting pregnant?

It’s a common misconception that you have to have OCD before getting pregnant in order to experience perinatal OCD.

Moms can suddenly be diagnosed with postpartum OCD even if they’ve never experienced obsessions and compulsions before.

New symptoms might arise due to hormonal shifts or the intensity of being responsible for another sweet little human. The research is still new regarding postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder.

That being said, women diagnosed with OCD prior to pregnancy experience a worsening of symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum. There are also situations where a woman has experienced OCD all her life yet is not diagnosed until after having the baby due to the symptoms worsening and becoming more prevalent.

Can a person suddenly develop OCD?

Yes!

While there are some moms and dads who are diagnosed with OCD before having a baby, there are also parents who suddenly develop symptoms of OCD in the perinatal phase, from pregnancy to 12 months after birth.

Postpartum OCD symptoms

So what symptoms should you look for regarding perinatal OCD? Or what symptoms are you currently experiencing that you’d like an answer to?

1. Intrusive, obsessive thoughts about your baby

These thoughts or images are often disturbing and sometimes violent. They tend to terrify new moms who fear that they will act on these thoughts. However, intrusive thoughts do not lead to action.

Read more: How Scary Thoughts Ruin Baby Bliss

Examples of obsessions in postpartum OCD

• Sexually intrusive thoughts or convincing yourself your baby will be sexually abused
• Graphic images of the baby dead, hurt or bleeding
• Fearing SIDS (Sudden-Infant Death Syndrome) to the point where it is all you think about
• Unwanted thoughts or images of dropping the baby
• Fear of toxins, chemicals, or poisonous foods in pregnancy or postpartum
• Terrified to make any decision that could harm the baby

2. Compulsions to reduce the threat of harm to baby

These are actions that moms repeat in order to reduce or eliminate the chance that their baby will be harmed. Moms believe they must act this way. They believe if they do not complete these compulsions, or actions, that their baby will be hurt.

It should be noted that these compulsions involve more than just cleaning, as typically thought about OCD.

Examples of compulsions in postpartum OCD

• Constantly seeking reassurance from loved ones or doctors that baby is okay
• Avoiding diaper changes or bathing baby due to sexually intrusive thoughts
• Throwing out sharp objects, such as knives or scissors
• Excessively checking on sleeping baby (more than once every half hour)
• Avoiding usual activities based on a previous intrusive thought
  • Not driving over bridges because of a thought that bridge will collapse
  • Not driving at all with baby in the car
  • Avoiding giving baby a bath after disturbing thought of drowning baby
• Revisiting the day’s past events to make sure no harm came to baby or will come to baby

3. Overly cautious in protecting baby

Moms with perinatal OCD live in hypervigilance. They are extremely attentive toward any possible harm for their baby. These perceived dangers might include:

• Toxins or chemicals in the home
• Babysitters, daycares, or caregivers that are not the mom themselves
• Poisons in certain foods
• Everyday activities with small risks (walking up stairs, cutting food with a knife, etc)

4. Scared to be left alone with baby

Moms might fear being left alone with their baby because they are afraid they will act on their obsessive thoughts. They don’t want to harm their child, whether it’s accidentally or purposely due to their obsessive thoughts.

Again, it needs to be said that moms with these obsessive thoughts do NOT act on them and hurt their baby.

5. Being horrified by their thoughts yet knowing the thoughts are strange and that they won’t act on them

While this symptom goes with #1, it should be known that often moms know how bizarre their thoughts are. They know the thoughts are not normal and that they won’t act on them by harming their baby.

Intrusive thoughts during postpartum — in depth

I want to expand the topic of intrusive thoughts because this can be especially upsetting for postpartum moms, no matter how bizarre they view the thoughts themselves.

Even if you know you would never harm your baby, it’s upsetting to even be capable of having these thoughts.

So let’s talk about what kinds of thoughts these can be.

Sexually intrusive thoughts with postpartum OCD

I’m starting with sexually intrusive thoughts because this was the most upsetting to me.

Here I had this beautiful baby boy that I wanted to protect from literally everything in the world — yet inappropriate thoughts were appearing in my mind during diaper changes.

I previously worked as a preschool teacher, changing 30-45 diapers per day. Never once did I have a sexually intrusive thought until it was my own son, which was all the more unnerving.

At times, I feared what his dad would do simply because he was blowing raspberries on our son’s belly.

These thoughts are uncomfortable to share, even with your therapist. I was terrified to type the previous sentence in fear that my husband — or the entire Internet — would be offended. However, that is EXACTLY why these things need to be shared as transparently as possible. You are not alone in having these thoughts.

Violent thoughts about baby

These thoughts can involve you doing something violent to harm the baby or someone else inflicting harm to the baby.

They can also include graphic images of the baby that appear in your mind even though you didn’t want them to.

Disturbing thoughts of accidentally harm of baby

These thoughts can still be violent, but they fall into the category of disturbing because they are accidental. These might include thoughts or images of:

• leaving baby in a hot car
• accidentally suffocating baby in your sleep
• dropping the baby

This list is not exhaustive, but its purpose is to show you how thoughts of violence and thoughts of accidents might differ.

What causes OCD to develop?

OCD occurs in 3-5% of new moms, typically in the first three to four weeks after birth. Again, moms don’t eagerly open up about their OCD symptoms, so the research is relatively new.

But here’s what we believe might cause postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder:

Hormonal fluctuation

Hormones are often blamed for postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, but the rapid drop in progesterone and oxytocin levels deserves to be noted.

Previous OCD diagnosis or onset

Some moms can experience a new diagnosis of PPOCD after birth, but some moms might have always had the disorder. The change in hormones and responsibility just might bring about symptoms that are more noticeable.

Sudden increase in responsibility

In my opinion, this is the largest cause of any postpartum mood and anxiety disorder but especially the largest cause of postpartum OCD.

Suddenly, you are in charge of a tiny human. Babies are helpless, dependent, and extremely vulnerable. As a new parent, you become their only line of defense.

That is absolutely terrifying.

While the responsibility of raising children is rewarding, it often overwhelms new moms and dads. Heck, it overwhelms me still and I’m over a year in.

This responsibility appears overnight. It can be shocking to many moms and dads, even if it’s your third or fourth child. Parents feel compelled to take this responsibility as seriously as possible and prevent any possible harm, no matter how minuscule the risk might seem.

Stress response

Stress negative affects our mental and physical health even without a baby. However, a newborn baby brings about numerous stress triggers:

• sleep deprivation
• crying
• not feeling good enough or like you know enough to be a parent
• finances

Related: How Your Finances Can Cause Postpartum Depression

During stressful times, we often develop coping mechanisms, whether these are healthy or not.

What postpartum OCD risk factors should I look for?

Although your postpartum experience can be unpredictable from one baby to the next, possible risk factors for PPOCD include:

• family history of OCD or mental illnesses
• your own mental health history
• traumatic birth experience
• significant stressful events or life changes

However, this list is not comprehensive, and I am not authorized to give medical advice. If you suspect postpartum OCD, please see your health care provider as soon as possible.

Is postpartum OCD temporary?

Symptoms of postpartum OCD may be temporary, but some moms experience them well after their child’s first birthday.

With proper help, the symptoms of PPOCD can become manageable and less daunting.

Does postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder go away on its own?

It’s rare that postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder goes away on its own. Often, untreated symptoms get worse over time.

It’s important that you do seek help from a mental health provider or other medical professional as soon as possible.

Related: 35 People Who WILL Actually Help You In Postpartum

Treatment for PPOCD

Therapy

Therapy is a great way to treat postpartum OCD, especially with a therapist certified in perinatal mental health. Find one here on Postpartum Support International.

There are many different therapeutic methods, from DBT to EMDR to CBT. We aren’t going to go over those acronyms today (feel free to Google!), but I do want to touch on CBT.

CBT stands for cognitive-behavioral therapy. It involves retraining your brain to follow healthy thought patterns. It is seen as the most effective for treating OCD because of its attentiveness to coping with intrusive thoughts.

Group therapy

Group therapy is also an option for treating PPOCD. It helps moms feel less alone in their experience and develop self-awareness while listening to similar stories’ from other people.

That being said, it isn’t for everyone. For some, individual therapy helps them flourish while group therapy triggers them. Discuss with your medical professionals on the best decision for you.

Support groups

I read an article once discussing how group therapy was for people who want to change and support groups were for people who want to cope. I think that’s the perfect illustration of the two.

Support groups are less guided than group therapy and focus instead on offering a place to share rather than seek positive habits to change.

Medication

Medication is also an effective treatment for postpartum OCD if necessary. Consult a medical professional if your mental health doesn’t seem right after baby.

Can postpartum OCD turn into psychosis?

Postpartum psychosis and postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder are two separate diagnoses. In fact, postpartum psychosis is extremely rare with less than 0.1% of moms developing it.

Related: 12 Scary Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis

However, the two are sometimes lumped together because they both seem violent toward the baby. People compare intrusive thoughts with PPOCD with the hallucinations and delusions of postpartum psychosis; however, the conditions are not related.

How can I beat my OCD in postpartum?

Seek help as soon as possible.

Talk to your primary care provider or ob-gyn about finding the right mental health specialist for you. You can also go straight to the source by finding a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health.

For a comprehensive list of who can help you in postpartum, download this free guide to building a postpartum support team. It includes links for finding the right therapist for postpartum!

Know that it is okay to be overwhelmed, sad, or anything else you may be feeling.

Your feelings are valid — whatever they might be.

Remind yourself that intrusive thoughts are not your fault.

It’s hard to consistently experience scary thoughts as a mom, but often you can’t control their existence. These thoughts are unwanted and unwarranted, and they will continue.

The important part is remembering that intrusive thoughts can be managed by:

• Recognizing the thought for what it is: an wanted thought
• Trusting you are not to blame for having the thought

It wasn’t my boss’ fault that she struggled with PPOCD, and I never blamed her for it. I was uncomfortable in conversation because I had never heard of postpartum OCD. I didn’t know what to think about it.

I pray this post helped you grow more comfortable with this disorder and that you know exactly what to think about it.

Do you have experience with postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder? Share with us in the comments below!

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