12 Ways I’m Prepping My Mental Health For Childbirth & Postpartum Life

I am giving birth to my first child this summer. Eek!

*This post is sponsored by Telemynd. A national mental health company dedicated to servicing military members and families. Their team of licensed therapists and prescribers are there to help you get the care you need. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I’m currently almost 9 months pregnant with a little girl and due at the end of August. As the date gets eerily closer my anxiety and worrisome thoughts are on the rise. Childbirth and parenting has been a huge hurdle for me to overcome in terms of how anxious I have felt about it. You can learn more about that story here. Let’s just say it’s taken a few years of therapy to really overcome the pregnancy, child birthing, and parenting fear.

When I found out I was expecting last December I had an array of feelings, which by the way is totally normal. My hormones and emotions were all over the place for about a month. They settled down and shortly after we found out the sex (girl!) I was genuinely so excited to start prepping and getting ready. I was surprised in the beginning just how not anxious or panicked I was.

I have been very fortunate to have a smooth pregnancy thus far. My biggest complaint now is I am exhausted each day, due to the nature of the 3rd trimester and also being anemic, and that I feel like a beached whale most days.

Besides the regular ailments of pregnancy we have been doing alright over here. BUT, my anxiety has been creeping up on me and now is not the time to let it run its crazy course. Back to weekly therapy we go!

I have been talking with my therapist about some things I can do to help ease these anxieties, including things not to do and things to focus on. I have compiled a list of what I am doing to prepare my mind for childbirth and postpartum life. It’s hard for me to not feel in control (hello to the most unpredictable event ever, childbirth), so these are things that I can control!

Below is the list of 12 things I’m focusing on:

1. Surrendering my anxious thoughts
   • I have a lot of random thoughts and anxieties that pop into my head throughout the day, or you know, while I’m trying to fall asleep. It’s so very easy to ruminate on them and start down the rabbit hole of fears. BUT, I am working on when those anxious thoughts and fears appear to “surrender” them. Meaning I acknowledge the thought and then immediately move on. Easier said than done. This is definitely taking practice and I am slowly getting better at it. I may have to do this 74 times a day, but it is getting easier.
2. Less time on social media
   • My therapist’s exact words to me “reel it back on the Instagram reels”.
   • Social media content creation is my job so this isn’t exactly easy. However, when those pregnancy videos come up or a horror story on birth makes it into my feed, I skip and scroll on past. I am working to lessen time on social media as it makes the anxiety much, much worse.
3. Moving my body with pregnancy safe workouts and stretches
   • This has become incredibly important lately. It’s harder because one, I’m pregnant and carrying extra weight, but also I’m exhausted every day. I am not a consistent exerciser, besides going on walks, so I am (trying) to do two, maybe three strength workouts a week. Along with stretching and Epsom salt baths for mobility and easing the aches and pains. This is a great one for my mental state as it makes me feel better all around.
4. Not having specific expectations for childbirth, recovery, or postpartum life
   • This is a hard one as I am naturally anxious and want to try and control each aspect of the situation. I can’t do that with childbirth. We do have a birth plan but I am letting my mindset not be super set on specific expectations or outcomes.
   • The goal is to have a healthy baby and delivery.
5. Journaling and devotionals
   • I have been writing in my journal more often with “brain dumps”. This is where I write down all of the things plaguing my brain until I can’t think of anything more. Once they are written down on paper it helps my mind feel more at ease. I also have been praying and doing daily devotionals.
6. Listening to the needs of my body
   • I’ve been learning the balance of rest this pregnancy. If there are chores or things that need to be done they typically take me longer as I need more rest time. If I move around too much my body aches, but not enough movement and I have a hard time sleeping. It helps to remember my body is going through a lot right now and I feel better after listening to what my body needs.
   • This is not only about physical needs either. Getting outside and moving when I feel good, getting ready for the day, doing some cleaning, social outings, and nesting around the house, or reading.
7. Not googling or searching online for different pregnancy symptoms
   • I definitely have a small amount of health anxiety and there are a few specific things I’m worried about. I have mentioned them to my doctors, and therapist, and am trying to go about them the best way I can. When I can’t get a symptom off my mind and end up googling said symptom I almost always regret it. So, sorry anxiety, no more searching for those symptoms.
8. Listening to trusted medical resources and close family and friends
   • This ties back into social media, where you can find a plethora of information regarding birth, parenting, and postpartum. Some information can be helpful but for myself and my husband, we are only taking advice and listening to trusted sources. Again, reeling it back on those horror stories!
9. Gaining knowledge on birth, breastfeeding, and newborn life through classes and trusted resources
   • Since my husband is in the military the base offers quite a few resources that are free and really helpful. We have taken a “Baby Boot Camp” Class, a breastfeeding class, and will utilize their New Parent Support program once this baby comes.
   • This is a personal decision but we have hired a birth Doula to learn more about the childbirth and labor process. The Doula will also be great with emotional and mental health help during the delivery process.
10. Having specific things we’re looking forward to once baby comes
    • It’s incredibly easy for me to only focus on the negative. So, my husband and I chat about the different things we look forward to once she is here. Although there are many, we can’t wait to have her out of the womb and start our lives with her! And the amount of super cute clothes we’ll put her in! We have already started a bucket list item of things we want to do with her once she is old enough.
11. The fact that I WON’T be pregnant anymore
    • Some people love being pregnant, some hate it. I am in-between haha. I truly just can’t wait to physically go back to normal (which will take time) and sleep, however much I can get, in any position I want! And be able to breathe normally, and have a regular appetite.
12. Enjoying the parts of pregnancy I actually like
    • There are things I don’t like about pregnancy and things I do. I will absolutely miss feeling her move around kick, it’s my favorite part! And getting to rub my belly and feel connected to her that way. It’s a unique time, hard and tiring, but so beautiful as well.

These 12 helpful ways took time and some good therapy sessions to figure out. I am very grateful to have a supportive therapist and spouse during this time and don’t know how I’d do it without them!

As you can guess, I am a tremendous supporter of taking care of your mental health, no matter the season or circumstance. I truly believe therapy can be beneficial to anyone.

If you’re interested in ways to take better care of your mental health, a great place to start is Telemynd. They have helped so many individuals with their virtual mental health care platform that is available nationwide. They have many mental health care providers and prescribers ready and willing to help you on your mental health journey today.

After they receive your application, they take the time to truly find a great match that is unique to you and will help you in the ways you need. I can’t stress enough how beneficial therapy has been the last few years. Having that extra professional help during deployments, stressful times, holidays, panic attacks, and pregnancy is something I am grateful for everyday and never regret!

Another reason I believe in putting my name behind Telemynd is that they are tremendous supporters of military mental health. Today, Telemynd is the only nationally recognized virtual mental health practice under TRICARE. They are also actively trying to help break down the stigma of mental health!

I hope these 12 things help you with your pregnancy anxiety and getting ready for childbirth in a less stressful way.

Thank you to Telemynd for sponsoring this post, and providing wonderful mental health care to those who need it. Reach out to them today to schedule your first appointment!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this! I truly appreciate it. And if you want to hear more from me you can follow me on almost all the big social media channels by searching my handle @theshortwife. And you can subscribe to my email list too!

Thanks for reading,

~Erin, The Short Wife