Table Of Content

Copyright © 2021 by Rockridge Press, Emeryville, California No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Rockridge Press, 6005 Shellmound Street, Suite 175, Emeryville, CA 94608. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. 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Interior and Cover Designer: Elizabeth Zuhl Art Producer: Janice Ackerman Editor: Sean Newcott Production Editor: Ruth Sakata Corley Production Manager: Martin Worthington Illustration: © Basia Stryjecka / Creative Market Author Photo: Courtesy of Myke Aquino ISBN: Print 978-1-64876-837-8 | eBook 978-1-64876-256-7 R1 I dedicate this book to my daughter Zella, whose birth threw me into the world of motherhood and into some of my deepest, most important work. CONTENTS Introduction chapter one Why Do I Feel This Way? chapter two Anxiety and Pregnancy chapter three Thought Modification chapter four Managing Distressing Thoughts chapter five Relaxation Techniques chapter six Mindfulness and Meditation chapter seven New Situation, New Strategies chapter eight Anxiety and Postpartum chapter nine Doing It Together resources references acknowledgments about the author INTRODUCTION A fter the birth of my daughter, I was engulfed by a pain that I didn’t know existed. Postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder took over my life for a year before I was able to figure out what was going on. I had never learned about these postpartum conditions, despite having been in the professional field of psychology for many years. Pregnancy, along with my devastating postpartum experience, ushered me into my life’s work to educate and advocate for new parents’ mental health. For years now, I’ve specialized in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and have supported many people through the transitions of conception, pregnancy, loss, birth, and postpartum. One of the most pervasive challenges people face is not knowing. Not knowing if they will get pregnant, stay pregnant, have a healthy baby, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum period. So many of the pregnant people I’ve supported just wanted to know that everything was going to be okay. Many people are surprised to experience anxiety for the first time in pregnancy. After all, pregnancy is supposed to be a magical time, right? Pregnancy is filled with some magic for sure, but it can also present challenges for many people. If someone has a history of anxiety, they can be anxious in pregnancy, too. Furthermore, the process of trying to conceive, and the prospect of being pregnant, can be incredibly overwhelming for some. This is especially true if they have previously experienced a pregnancy loss. Anxiety is common, and so are clinical levels of anxiety. But because anxiety is not often talked about, it can be very isolating, which, in turn, can produce more anxiety. Thankfully, people are working to change systems of care, adequately support new parents, and make sure people know that they are not alone. There’s so much to know about the relationship between pregnancy and anxiety, and I’m hopeful that this workbook will help you feel more prepared and better supported. How This Workbook Can Help This workbook is focused on helping people who are experiencing anxiety for the first time during pregnancy as well as people who have a history of anxiety going into pregnancy, and will give you day-to-day coping skills to use before, during, and after pregnancy. If no one told you that anxiety could be a part of pregnancy or having a baby, you’re not alone. This workbook will shed light on the reality that many people experience and help you learn to notice your own physical, mental, and emotional cues about how you’re feeling, then respond appropriately. That’s what this book is for, to help you find ways to manage your feelings, self-soothe, find resources, and feel better. This workbook will also address the ways in which anxiety can show up. I’ll help you learn about anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive- compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and skills for coping with each. The symptoms of these conditions are important to be aware of, but the lived experience is much more nuanced and complex. The tips, tricks, exercises, and skills in this workbook will come from many types of theoretical models of psychotherapy. I will be using an evidence-based approach, coming from a trauma- and resiliency- informed perspective. You will find cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness strategies, and a great deal of information to help you on your journey. It is important to know that as you read through the various anxiety conditions, your anxiety might increase—that is okay. But be sure to remind yourself that you don’t need to take on any anxiety that isn’t yours. You’re already being proactive by using this workbook to learn and develop skills. While you may see some of your experience reflected in this workbook, it can’t cover every possible experience. If you don’t see a specific symptom, thought, feeling, or behavior in this book, that doesn’t mean your experience isn’t real. It’s real. It’s valid. You’re not imagining things, and you’re certainly not alone. To that end, you will find many valuable resources at the back of this workbook to help you develop your coping skills as you continue on your pregnancy journey.