Are you wondering if you may have perinatal OCD? Here are some common symptoms/signs:
Signs and symptoms of perinatal OCD
Common perinatal obsessions
- Fear of harming or hurting the baby
- Distress and worry about being a “bad” parent
- Fear of contamination
- Worry about how much or what kind of milk the baby is consuming
Common perinatal compulsions
- Repetitively checking your baby for signs of illness or health issues such as their breathing
- Constantly seeking reassurance from your loved ones that you’re a good parent
- Avoiding activities or situations that might put your baby at risk for getting sick or hurt, such as allowing others to hold your baby
- Frequent cleaning or sanitizing to make sure that your baby doesn’t get sick.
- Excessive googling about baby health and safety.
- Performing mental rituals such as praying, repeating phrases to prevent harm from occurring.
Perinatal OCD can feel overwhelming and isolating, but it is treatable. I provide two different types of evidence-based therapy for OCD for women experiencing intrusive thoughts, mental compulsions, and heightened anxiety during pregnancy or postpartum.
One type of therapy is called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and the other is Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT).
Both treatments focus on:
- Understanding and managing intrusive thoughts
- Reducing anxiety and compulsive behaviors
- Regaining confidence and trust in yourself
Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a well-established, evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). ERP helps you gradually face the thoughts, situations, sensations, or uncertainties that trigger anxiety or discomfort while learning to resist the compulsions and rituals that have become your way of coping.
In therapy, we work collaboratively to identify your OCD cycle and develop a gradual, personalized plan for exposure. This may involve facing feared situations, allowing uncomfortable thoughts or feelings to be present, and practicing new ways of responding without checking, avoiding, seeking reassurance, or engaging in other compulsions.
ERP is not about forcing yourself to feel comfortable or proving that your fears won’t happen. Instead, it helps you learn that you can experience uncertainty and discomfort without relying on compulsions to feel safe or certain.
Over time, ERP can help you spend less time responding to OCD and more time living according to what matters to you.
More about ERP here: ERP information
Inference-Based CBT:
I-CBT is a specialized approach for people who experience persistent doubts, fears, and intrusive thoughts—particularly when you find yourself questioning what is real, possible, or likely to happen.
Rather than asking you to prove that your fears are impossible or repeatedly seek reassurance, I-CBT helps you understand how your mind can become caught in a cycle of doubt. Together, we work on recognizing when you are moving away from what you actually know and becoming pulled into imagined possibilities, and learning to respond to uncertainty with greater confidence.
I-CBT can be especially helpful for people experiencing obsessive-compulsive symptoms, including intrusive thoughts, excessive doubt, checking, reassurance seeking, and mental compulsions.
New moms sometimes prefer I-CBT as it does not involve engaging in exposures, like ERP does.
Click here to learn more: I-CBT information
I offer therapy for perinatal OCD concerns in-person in Tucson, AZ, and via telehealth for PSYPACT-approved states, using structured approaches grounded in CBT and mindfulness. Reach out to schedule a 10-minute phone consultation to learn more.
Dr. Valerie Ogborn | Clinical Psychologist| Perinatal Mental Health-Certified 