Postpartum depression and anxiety: online perinatal psychologist
A space for you when your baby's arrival stirs up more than you expected.
The postpartum can stir up much more than you imagined. And even if you deeply love your baby, that doesn't mean everything has to feel good.
You may live with anxiety, with a self-demand that gives you no respite, with the feeling of not recognising yourself or of failing all the time. Maternal guilt and the pressure to do "everything right" weigh heavily, and the emotional loneliness of this stage often goes unnamed.
Becoming a mother is also a profound shift in identity. Needing a space for yourself doesn't make you less of a mother: it makes you a person who also deserves care.
I can support you if you're experiencing:
- Postpartum anxiety and a sense of being overwhelmed
- Maternal guilt and self-demand
- Difficulty adapting to this new stage
- Changes in your identity or not recognising yourself
- Emotional loneliness
Does this sound like you?
Some of these signs are part of normal postpartum adjustment; others are worth paying closer attention to if they last several weeks:
Common adjustment (which also deserves support)
- Extreme tiredness and mood swings
- Constant doubt about whether you're doing it right
- Missing your life before the baby
- Difficulty asking for help or letting go of control
Signs worth paying closer attention to
- Sadness, anxiety, or irritability that doesn't ease after 2-3 weeks
- Feeling disconnected from the baby
- Thoughts that your family would be better off without you
- Being unable to sleep even when the baby sleeps
When to seek help urgently
If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or feel you can't guarantee their safety or your own, contact your doctor, emergency services (112), or the 024 suicide-prevention helpline (Spain) immediately. This is more common than people talk about, and it's treatable: asking for help is the most important step you can take.
Outside of an emergency, if the distress lasts more than two or three weeks or gets in the way of your day-to-day, you don't need to wait for it to get worse before starting therapy.
How I support you in the postpartum
We work on anxiety and the sense of overwhelm with tools for everyday life, and we make room for guilt and self-demand so we can look at them with more compassion. We also tend to your relationship with yourself, not only with the baby.
It's support adapted to the reality of motherhood: you can come to a session with your baby in your arms, asleep or breastfeeding. It doesn't have to fit an ideal image of how it "should" be.
How we work in sessions
A space adapted to your reality
You can come to a session with your baby in your arms, feeding, or asleep. You don't need to organise yourself "perfectly" to be able to come.
Working on guilt and self-demand
We look with more compassion at thoughts like "I'm not doing enough" or "I should feel different", and what's behind them.
Resources for everyday life
Concrete tools for anxiety, broken sleep, and emotional overload, adjusted to what your actual routine allows.
Many mothers start between 4 and 12 weeks postpartum, though I also support processes that surface months or even years later.
Frequently asked questions about the postpartum
How do I tell the "baby blues" apart from postpartum depression?
The baby blues usually last a few days and ease on their own within the first two weeks. If the distress continues beyond that or gets more intense, it's worth having it assessed with professional support.
I love my baby but I'm not enjoying motherhood, is that postpartum depression?
It could be, though not necessarily. Both things — loving your baby and not enjoying this stage — can coexist, and it's something we can explore together without judgement.
Can I do therapy while breastfeeding on demand?
Yes, sessions are online and flexible; you can tend to your baby during the session if you need to.
Is it normal not to feel an immediate "spark" with the baby?
Yes, bonding is often built gradually rather than instantly, and not feeling it right away doesn't predict what your relationship will be like.
How long does postpartum support usually take?
It varies a lot depending on the situation; some mothers need just a few sessions and others a process of several months.
You don't need to be "bad enough" to ask for help in the postpartum.