Scared of Postpartum Again? You don’t have to be
If you’re pregnant and there’s a voice in the back of your mind saying, “I cannot go through postpartum like that again,” you’re not alone.
If you’ve struggled with postpartum anxiety, rage, or depression in the past, it makes sense that you’d be worried (or even terrified, like I was) about a repeat experience. Because once you’ve experienced the disorienting, depleted, and loneliness that postpartum can bring, thinking positively a’int always gonna cut it.
The worst part about this in my eyes is that this very logical and common fear is rarely talked about out loud.
Your fear makes sense
A difficult postpartum can leave quite an imprint. The anxiety, intrusive thoughts, mood changes, and exhaustion that physically hurts aren’t easy things to forget.
This doesn’t mean it’s inevitable, of course. It just means your nervous system is doing what it’s supposed to do… it’s trying to protect you.
Fear, in this context, is information.
Why postpartum hits harder than most people expect
Our pregnancies are typically monitored pretty closely. Birth gets a plan.But postpartum usually gets no more than a congrats, some unsolicited advice, and a six-week checkup.
After you give birth, your hormone levels crash. Sleep becomes fragmented. Your body is healing. Your identity shifts overnight. And in many cases, you’re expected to manage all of this while learning how to breastfeed and care for a newborn with minimal hands-on support.
ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has even acknowledged that postpartum care in the U.S. has historically been insufficient and unfortunately focuses more on whether complications arise than on how parents are coping.
When parents say, “I don’t know why postpartum was so hard,” the answer is usually because it is hard, and you weren’t given the support you needed.
You were depleted.
Postpartum struggle has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of personal failure or personality flaw. It’s often the result of depletion (hormonal, physical, emotional) piled on top of unrealistic expectations and limited support.
Most of us leave the hospital for the first time with a baby, a packet of papers, and very little preparation for what postpartum recovery looks or feels like. And then when symptoms show up later (anxiety, low mood, irritability, numbness) it’s easy to internalize them as “something wrong with me.”
But nothing is wrong with you if postpartum feels harder than you expected. We are all just doing our best in a system that doesn’t prioritize postpartum recovery.
This time doesn’t have to be a repeat of last time
Having a better postpartum does not require a perfect birth, a different provider, or a radical lifestyle overhaul.
It starts with information and preparation.
Studies have shown just understanding what to expect and what options exist can reduce postpartum anxiety and increase a sense of control. Knowing what’s happening in your body, and knowing that support isn’t one-size-fits-all, is important.
Fear often comes from feeling powerless
One of the hardest parts of a previous difficult postpartum is the sense that it just happened to you. That you didn’t see it coming. That no one told you what was normal or what could help.
Choice and autonomy are protective, especially for parents who are used to feeling in control. When people feel informed and involved in their care decisions, mental health outcomes improve. This is true in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
And yet, many parents are never told they have options other than a prescription for meds, especially after the baby is born.
The conversation no one brings up: Placenta pills might help
The placenta plays a super important role during pregnancy. It supports both you and your baby hormonally and physically. But after birth, it’s rarely discussed at all. And it usually ends up in an incinerator.
Some families choose to explore different options related to their placenta as part of their postpartum planning. If this idea freaks you out a bit, remember that learning about an option is not the same as committing to it.
I want you to have access to information, instead of realizing later that something was decided for you without your knowledge.
You don’t have to decide anything right now
If you’re scared of postpartum again, start here: with information, not pressure.
My free guide, Your Placenta, Your Choice, walks through what happens to your placenta after birth, what options exist, why postpartum can feel so intense in the first place, and how placenta pills can help.
It’s designed for people who like to be informed without being told what to do.
You deserve a different experience this time.
👉🏻 Download the free guide here.
