Compassionate support for anxiety, depression, and emotional overwhelm during pregnancy and postpartum.
Therapy for Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
You’re not broken – you’re just carrying too much.
You find yourself crying more than you ever expected, lying awake at night, wired with worry even when you’re completely exhausted. You might snap at people you love or pull away altogether, feeling irritable, guilty, shut down – like you’re always on the verge of unraveling.
You’ve heard the term postpartum depression, but your experience doesn’t match the stereotype, so you convince yourself you’re just not handling things well enough, that this must somehow be your fault. It’s not.
PMADs are common, treatable, and not your fault. Therapy can help you feel more like yourself again.
What is Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorder (PMADs)?
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders is an umbrella term for emotional and mental health struggles that can happen during pregnancy and up to a year postpartum. These can include:
Postpartum Depression (PPD) – low mood, numbness, guilt, difficulty bonding with baby
Postpartum Anxiety (PPA) – racing thoughts, chronic worry, feeling constantly “on edge”
Postpartum OCD (PPOCD) – intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors (e.g., checking, cleaning)
Postpartum PTSD (P-PTSD) – birth trauma, flashbacks, panic, hypervigilance
Postpartum Psychosis (PPP) – rare but serious; includes hallucinations or delusions
Many people experience more than one at the same time. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own to get help.
What PMADs can feel like:
– Feeling overwhelmed, irritable, hopeless, or detached
– Anxiety that doesn’t go away after reassurance
– Panic attacks or intrusive thoughts that scare you
– Difficulty sleeping (even when your baby sleeps)
– Rage or resentment that catches you off guard
– Rage or resentment that catches you off guard
– Loss of joy in things you used to love
– Shame or guilt about how you’re coping
– Feeling like a “bad mom” even when you’re doing your best
– If any of this feels familiar, you’re not alone.
How Therapy Helps
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Name and understand your symptoms
Reduce anxiety, overwhelm, and intrusive thoughts
Process your birth story and the transition to parenthood
Practice emotion regulation tools that fit your real life
Reconnect with your identity and values
Create more space for rest, joy, and self-compassion
You don’t have to wait until you’re “falling apart”.
We offer virtual therapy for clients in Iowa, Indiana, Idaho, South Carolina, and Florida, so you can get support from your home – even during nap time or late at night. You deserve support now. Let’s talk about how therapy can help you feel steadier, more supported, and more like yourself.
PHONE: (515) 259 - 0138
EMAIL: hello@therapywithanne.org
Get in touch with us via phone, email, or drop your details in the form and we’ll get back to you soon. We serve Iowa, Indiana, South Carolina, Idaho, and Florida.
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