Adjustment to Parenthood

Becoming a parent is always an adjustment, whether this is your first child or not. While the newborn bubble can feel blissful for some, sleep deprivation, hormonal fluctuations, and recovery from birth can make the early weeks challenging. We understand this time as a period of transition, sometimes described as ‘matrescence’ as the body and brain evolve to step into this new identity as a parent.

With this adjustment in mind, it is not unusual to experience feelings of low mood, anxiety, loss of identity, or fluctuations in preexisting mental health difficulties such as OCD. Neurodiversity can also add additional layers to this adjustment for some. For many women, anxiety or low mood can increase as time goes on or can affect them when the baby is older or when considering returning to work (or not). We do not have a cut-off for how long we can see women post-birth when they’re struggling with issues around mothering. We are passionate about offering optimal support at this time as we understand this as a foundational time for parenting.