Anxiety during pregnancy

Pregnancy can give you plenty to think about, and some worry is understandable. But anxiety during pregnancy can become more persistent or intense, affecting your thoughts, sleep, concentration or everyday life. Anxiety can also appear for the first time during pregnancy or return if you have experienced it before.

If anxiety is becoming difficult to manage, tell your midwife, maternity team or GP. You do not need to decide whether your feelings are “serious enough” before bringing them up. Support and treatment are available during pregnancy.

What can anxiety during pregnancy feel like?

Anxiety is not identical for everyone. It can involve emotional, mental and physical symptoms, and the things that trigger it can vary widely.

You may notice persistent worrying, difficulty switching off anxious thoughts or feeling frightened about things that would not usually cause this level of distress. Anxiety can also cause physical sensations such as a faster heartbeat, sweating or feeling panicky.

Some people become particularly focused on pregnancy itself. You might worry about symptoms, scans, the baby’s health, giving birth or whether something will go wrong. Previous pregnancy loss or a difficult experience can make particular appointments or stages of pregnancy especially emotional.

Other worries may have little to do with pregnancy. Work, money, relationships, family responsibilities and existing mental health difficulties do not disappear because you are pregnant.

Having anxious thoughts does not by itself tell you that you have an anxiety disorder. The NHS advises against self-diagnosing and recommends speaking to a GP if you are worried about how you feel.

Is anxiety common in pregnancy?

Anxiety is one of the mental health problems that can occur during pregnancy. NICE guidance recognises anxiety disorders including generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and tokophobia, which is an extreme fear of childbirth.

That does not mean every period of worry needs a diagnosis. Pregnancy involves uncertainty, and emotions can fluctuate.

A useful question is not simply, “Am I anxious?” but also, “How much is this affecting me?”

If worry is taking over large parts of your day, stopping you from doing things, interfering with sleep or making it difficult to cope, it is worth discussing with a healthcare professional.

Why might pregnancy make anxiety feel stronger?

There may not be one obvious explanation.

Pregnancy brings physical changes, medical appointments and decisions, along with uncertainty that can feel difficult if you are already prone to worrying. Hormonal changes can affect emotions too.

You may also feel pressure to enjoy pregnancy or appear excited. If your actual experience is dominated by worry, that gap can leave you feeling isolated.

Tommy’s notes that people may worry about their own health or their baby’s health, labour and birth, finances, relationships and previous pregnancy loss.

You do not have to justify why you feel anxious before asking for help. Sometimes there is a clear trigger and sometimes there is not.

Anxiety after pregnancy loss

Pregnancy after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss or another difficult pregnancy experience can bring a complicated mixture of hope and fear.

You may find scans particularly stressful or feel anxious as you approach a stage of pregnancy connected with a previous loss. Some people find it difficult to plan ahead or become frightened by ordinary changes in their body.

These feelings can be deeply personal. You are not required to feel a particular way because you are pregnant again.

Tell your midwife or GP if anxiety after loss is becoming difficult to cope with. Tommy’s also advises seeking support if previous loss is contributing to depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress.

What can you do if pregnancy anxiety is getting difficult?

You do not have to manage persistent anxiety entirely by yourself.

Tell someone how you are feeling

The NHS recommends being honest with your midwife, GP or another healthcare professional caring for you. You can also talk to someone you trust if that feels helpful.

You do not need perfect words. Saying, “I’m worrying most of the day and it’s becoming hard to cope” gives your healthcare professional somewhere to start.

Mental health is part of antenatal care, so being asked about how you feel is normal.

Get reliable answers to pregnancy worries

Uncertainty can feed anxiety. If a particular symptom, test, scan or aspect of pregnancy is worrying you, ask your maternity team rather than relying on repeated online searching.

A healthcare professional can respond to your individual circumstances and tell you when something needs assessment.

Make space for things you enjoy

The NHS suggests making regular time for activities you enjoy as one way to support mental wellbeing during pregnancy.

This does not need to become another task on a long pregnancy checklist. Small, manageable things count.

Stay active if it is appropriate for you

The NHS advises that regular activity during pregnancy can support mood and sleep. What is suitable depends on your health, pregnancy and usual activity, so ask your midwife if you are uncertain about exercise.

These everyday strategies can support wellbeing, but they are not substitutes for professional care if anxiety is persistent or severe.

What treatment is available for anxiety during pregnancy?

Treatment depends on the type and severity of anxiety, your circumstances and your preferences.

The NHS says depression and anxiety during pregnancy can often be helped with talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy. NHS Talking Therapies services can support conditions including anxiety, depression, PTSD and OCD, and in England adults can often contact a service directly without first seeing a GP.

Medication may also be considered in some circumstances. Decisions about medication during pregnancy need an individual discussion of potential benefits and risks with an appropriate healthcare professional.

If you already take prescribed medication for your mental health, tell your doctor or specialist if you become pregnant. Do not stop prescribed medication without discussing it with them first.

What if anxiety is affecting appointments or birth plans?

Some pregnancy-related fears can become strong enough to affect antenatal appointments, examinations or thoughts about giving birth.

NICE recognises tokophobia as an anxiety disorder that can occur during pregnancy. If fear of childbirth is causing significant distress, tell your midwife or obstetric team. They can discuss your concerns and the support available.

Similarly, if previous trauma makes examinations, scans or particular aspects of maternity care difficult, telling your healthcare team can help them understand what you need.

You are allowed to ask questions, explain what makes you anxious and request clear information about your care.

When to get professional advice

Speak to your maternity unit or GP if you are worried about your mental health. Seek support if anxiety feels persistent, difficult to control, is interfering with everyday life or is making pregnancy hard to cope with.

You can also discuss anxiety with your midwife during routine appointments. In England, NHS Talking Therapies may be available through self-referral for anxiety and related mental health difficulties.

If you experience a mental health crisis or feel unable to keep yourself safe, seek urgent help. The NHS advises calling 999 or going to A&E if you or someone else is in danger. If you need urgent mental health help but it is not an emergency, use NHS 111 and select the mental health option where available.

Pregnancy anxiety does not need to reach crisis point before you ask for help. If something about how you are feeling concerns you, your midwife or GP can help you work out the appropriate next step.