Understanding Perinatal Mental Health

by Suzie Booth, Counsellor/Psychotherapist, MSc. MBACP (accred.)

The next few blog posts, we’re focusing on perinatal mental health; the emotional wellbeing of mothers during pregnancy, birth, and the early years of their child’s life.

The term perinatal covers the whole journey: pregnancy, labour, and roughly your baby’s first year (sometimes even the first couple of years). It’s an incredibly intense and transformative time; physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

How common are perinatal mental health challenges?

Around 10–15% of women develop a mental health condition during the perinatal period, and many more experience emotional difficulties that never reach a formal diagnosis. Feeling anxious, low, tearful, or disconnected doesn’t necessarily mean you have a mental illness, it means you’re human, and you’re going through one of life’s biggest transitions.

Your wellbeing matters; for you and your baby

Before we go any further, it’s really important to say that this information isn’t here to shame or frighten anyone. It’s not about blame, it’s about care.

Understanding the link between a mother’s wellbeing and her baby’s development is not meant to add pressure or guilt; it’s a reminder of just how much mothers’ wellbeing truly matters. You deserve to be cared for, supported, and prioritised, not only because it helps your baby, but because you are a whole, valuable person in your own right.

How a mother’s mental health can affect her baby

Research has shown that a mother’s emotional health during pregnancy doesn’t just affect her, it can also influence her baby’s development.

Studies have found links between antenatal depression and anxiety (that’s before the baby is born) and outcomes such as:

• Babies being born early (before 36–37 weeks)

• Low birth weight

• Changes in how babies respond to stress in the womb

For example, when a baby hears a sudden loud noise in the womb, their heart rate will increase. Babies of mothers experiencing depression or anxiety often show a bigger increase in heart rate, suggesting their stress systems may be more reactive.

But again, this isn’t about blame. It’s a powerful reminder that mums need and deserve real emotional support, long before things reach crisis point.

The role of stress hormones

The connection happens through the placenta, which supplies the baby with oxygen, nutrients, and hormones from the mother.

In mums who are very anxious or depressed, the placenta can function differently, allowing higher levels of cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) to pass into the baby’s amniotic fluid. In other words, the baby is exposed to more of the mother’s stress hormones.

This doesn’t mean you’ve harmed your baby if you’ve been stressed, it means your body and mind are doing their best under huge pressure, and it highlights how much support and rest mothers truly need.

Our bodies need to feel safe and calm for labour to progress smoothly. The “love hormone” oxytocin helps labour begin and continue effectively, but oxytocin and cortisol can’t flow freely at the same time. When we’re tense or frightened, it can make labour more difficult, which is why emotional care for mothers is not a luxury, it’s essential.

After the baby arrives

Postnatally, things can continue to feel difficult. When you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or trauma, it can be harder to feel connected and emotionally available to your baby.

Attachment research shows that what matters most is repair and recovery, not perfection. Babies can absolutely thrive when parents’ struggles are recognised and supported early. It’s when difficulties become long-term and untreated that they can start to impact both parent and child more deeply.

So, if you notice signs that you’re struggling; persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, intrusive thoughts, or a sense of disconnection, please reach out. Getting help early isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby.

What’s coming next

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at:

• What it’s really like to experience pregnancy and early motherhood

• The most common perinatal mental health conditions

• Why they happen and how to prevent them

• And most importantly - where and how to find help

  
  

If you’re struggling, please remember; this isn’t your fault, and you’re not alone. You deserve support, compassion, and care. Because when mothers are well, everyone benefits.