Hello!

Did you find after having your baby that your anxiety and emotional tolerance has changed? I have always had slight anxiety and since my son was born and even up till now (he turns 2) the way I react to thinks has so much more emotion on it or my anxiety just eats me alive. I cry over the smallest decision or if my husband has said something that may not be what I needed or wanted to hear (nothing nasty but just negativity towards a situation) hope this makes sense


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  • I think after giving birth it’s quite normal that level of anxiety and emotional responses increase. Change in hormones: The sharp decrease in hormones after delivery can cause changes in mood or cause you to overreact to stress. Lack of sleep: Caring for newborns can be a 24-hour job and cause sleep deprivation.
    However when your child has become older you can’t speak of postpartum anxiety anymore, but more from paternal anxiety. It’s normal to have some anxiety about our kids, but when anxiety becomes a problem it may be time to seek help


  • 3 kids later and I constantly find myself in a state of anxiety unfortunately


  • My anxiety and mood changed so much after having my son 5 years ago. I really struggle with anxiety now where as I didn’t that much before. I thought it would get better as time went on but it’s gotten worse


  • I definitely was a bit more anxious, and more emotional for a while. I think it’s partly hormonal and partly having a small person you care about so much. But it sounds like you could perhaps use some professional help – please talk to your GP.


  • 100% and things haven’t changed 23 years later sorry to say.


  • I am the same as you. Mine went up so much since having my kids. I have also become so paranoid and so afraid something bad might happen to them, that I just feel like when they are not with me I have lost all sense of control. I know it’s over the top and unreasonable, but it is so hard to control the emotions. I am not sure if you have already, but I plan on talking to someone professional about it. And I’m hopeful that will help.
    Good luck, and know you are not alone.


  • I feel the same. I jave always suffered from anxiety and some days are much worse than others but I find it doesn’t take much for mw to cry, get upset or think bad situations. I cry watching tv shows, i find I can’t handle in movies or shows if something happens to a child, I’m a mess. I try my best to reason with my emotions and I know it is normal and ok to feel like this sometimes, i just also feel silly.


  • Absolutely! With my second baby I got severe anxiety. My neighbours on both sides of me gave birth 6 months before I had my second so I was hearing both their babies crying throughout the day and would often think it was my own baby Sou would constantly be getting up and checking only to find mine sound asleep. I got so bad I was dreaming of crying babies, and would often wake thinking I was actually hearing mine, but once again bub would be asleep. Then I would lay awake with anxiety that my baby would cry as soon as I fell asleep and I was too exhausted to want to be up feeding… then there’s the usual anxiety of all the things that could happen if … and having things popping up in our newsfeeds about missing children and button batteries etc just adds to it all


  • As you will probably already know, during pregnancy our hormones change, and they change again after birth. This can cause mental health issues that may have not been there before, or may exasperate your normal symptoms more. You may need to see your GP for advice and support. Good luck.


  • Yes! Depression increased too.. my sons now 5 and I still suffer from depression and anxiety. I’m on 100mg of zoloft and try organise/schedule out my days to kind of keep me on track and out of my own head.

    With the emotional times, you may need your own outlet to calm down or take your thoughts away from going that way. Whether its a book, show, youtube, tiktok.. something engaging.


  • Yes, ever since having kids I’m super emotional but you know what?! Hubby is the same as well! The littlest of things now make him teary lol. So I think it’s totally normal.
    I also feel like after baby number two I’ve been more cranky and my patience isn’t as great as it used to be.


  • Absolutely yes, my anxiety got worse and it was at times hard to manage. Lots of deep breathing and talking through helped


  • Fatigue can also make it hard to be yourself. Small irritants and little upsets are so much harder to deal with. So maybe check fatigue levels too.


  • Don’t under estimate the impact of hormones here ! Have you considered talking to a professional ?


  • Our emotions go through a roller coaster when we have a new baby. If it’s getting overwhelming and interfering in your day to day, go and see a doctor a counsellor. There’s no shame in seeking help for mental health.


  • Yes, totally! My third baby (9mo) and has been the hardest time emotionally, (baby is amazing) my partner and I constantly fight, I feel I cannot get enough done, it is stressful and exhausting, you are not alone.


  • It sounds like you might have PND. Book an appointment with your GP and have a chat to him/her. There’s lots of ways they can help.


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