What is Perinatal OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a relatively common mental illness. It can affect men and women at any time of their life. If a woman has OCD during pregnancy or after birth (know as the perinatal period) it is called Perinatal OCD.
You may not have had OCD before getting pregnant. For some women, pregnancy or birth can be a trigger for the disorder.
OCD has three main parts:
- Thoughts or images that keep coming into your mind. These are called obsessions.
- Anxiety - usually as a result of the obsessional thoughts.
- Thoughts or actions you keep repeating to try and reduce your anxiety. These are called compulsions.
Where to get help
The help and treatment you need depends on how severe your perinatal OCD is.
Your GP, midwife and health visitor can help you decide what kind of help you need.