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The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook: Practical Skills to Help You Overcome Anxiety, Worry, Panic Attacks, Obsessions, and Compulsions
If these thoughts seem to be permanent fixtures in your mind, you're in good company. New moms have a lot to be anxious about, and it's perfectly natural to have some fears during and after pregnancy. The problem is, anxiety can grow, disrupting your daily life and keeping you from enjoying motherhood. The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook provides proven-effective strategies drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for keeping anxious thoughts at bay and getting back to the productive and positive thinking you've been missing.
Through a series of easy exercises and worksheets, you'll learn skills for relaxing yourself when you feel stressed. You'll also learn to reduce the frequency and intensity of anxious feelings many pregnant women and mothers of infants face. The book also includes a chapter that offers tips to help fathers understand and support their partners.
How I wish I'd had this book when I suffered from postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder! Pregnant and postpartum moms need to know that perinatal anxiety disorders are common and treatable, and that there's no need to continue suffering.
-Katherine Stone, editor of Postpartum Progress, the most widely-read blog on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and board member of Postpartum Support International
Wiegartz and Gyoerkoe have adapted the powerful and scientifically proven techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy into tools that new moms and mothers-to-be can use to overcome the most common anxiety-related problems and reclaim this special time of life.
-Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Ph.D., ABPP, professor and director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Through a series of easy exercises and worksheets, you'll learn skills for relaxing yourself when you feel stressed. You'll also learn to reduce the frequency and intensity of anxious feelings many pregnant women and mothers of infants face. The book also includes a chapter that offers tips to help fathers understand and support their partners.
How I wish I'd had this book when I suffered from postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder! Pregnant and postpartum moms need to know that perinatal anxiety disorders are common and treatable, and that there's no need to continue suffering.
-Katherine Stone, editor of Postpartum Progress, the most widely-read blog on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and board member of Postpartum Support International
Wiegartz and Gyoerkoe have adapted the powerful and scientifically proven techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy into tools that new moms and mothers-to-be can use to overcome the most common anxiety-related problems and reclaim this special time of life.
-Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Ph.D., ABPP, professor and director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
9 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 22, 2012
One of the worst examples of selling something by slapping the word "pregnancy" onto it that I've ever seen, apart from pregnancy panty liners. This is a not-very-good CBT for anxiety workbook that has pasted on examples and made-up "case studies" (some of which are awfully familiar from other CBT workbooks)about pregnant women and new mothers.
Most of the time, it doesn't even manage that. Hilariously worst example: the old "endorphin from exercise will make you feel better" advice is followed by suggesting, among other things, rollerblading and skipping with jump ropes. I think my obstetrician would have something to say about that. It's just plain sloppy.
Another example: for panic attacks, it follows the tired old "write down the worst thing you fear will happen" chestnut, but the worst example they can think of is every-CBT-book-uses "people will see me hyperventilating." That's not even trying. As a pregnant woman with an anxiety disorder, I can come up with a long list of worse fears related to panic attacks, starting with panic breathing difficulties causing oxygen deprivation to my baby.
It also suggests CBT for obsessive compulsion syndrome, when the evidence base is that while CBT gives short term relief it worsens the condition long term, and mindfulness is much more effective as an OCD therapy. (My own experience backs this up.)
If you've never read a CBT workbook, this is - well, not a particularly good one anyway, but it might be of some use. But as someone struggling with being pregnant while suffering anxiety, depression and OCD, and familiar with far more comprehensive works (and workbooks) on the subject, I was really, really hoping for advice specific to dealing with the extra stresses caused by pregnancy and post partum depression, and it was of absolutely no use to me. I really wish I could get my money back, because I feel ripped off by the author flogging stuff he'd probably already written lightly adapted for the pregnancy market.
Most of the time, it doesn't even manage that. Hilariously worst example: the old "endorphin from exercise will make you feel better" advice is followed by suggesting, among other things, rollerblading and skipping with jump ropes. I think my obstetrician would have something to say about that. It's just plain sloppy.
Another example: for panic attacks, it follows the tired old "write down the worst thing you fear will happen" chestnut, but the worst example they can think of is every-CBT-book-uses "people will see me hyperventilating." That's not even trying. As a pregnant woman with an anxiety disorder, I can come up with a long list of worse fears related to panic attacks, starting with panic breathing difficulties causing oxygen deprivation to my baby.
It also suggests CBT for obsessive compulsion syndrome, when the evidence base is that while CBT gives short term relief it worsens the condition long term, and mindfulness is much more effective as an OCD therapy. (My own experience backs this up.)
If you've never read a CBT workbook, this is - well, not a particularly good one anyway, but it might be of some use. But as someone struggling with being pregnant while suffering anxiety, depression and OCD, and familiar with far more comprehensive works (and workbooks) on the subject, I was really, really hoping for advice specific to dealing with the extra stresses caused by pregnancy and post partum depression, and it was of absolutely no use to me. I really wish I could get my money back, because I feel ripped off by the author flogging stuff he'd probably already written lightly adapted for the pregnancy market.
December 31, 2019
Practical, easy to use workbook. Information, self-assessments, options, tools, exercises. Very approachable piece.
September 26, 2024
It can be described as terrible.
1. The author seems to lack practical experience on pregnancy-related anxiety, just applying CBT for anxiety directly to pregnant women, which involves too much assumption.
For example, exposure therapy. While it's indeed effective for patients with long-term anxiety disorders, it's not sure for pregnant women. Pregnancy is a clearly defined period, and from the onset of the issue to the end of the pregnancy, it may last less than six months, or sometimes just a few weeks or months. This means that by the time the heightened anxiety from exposure therapy has set in, the pregnancy might already be over. If that's the case, why endure the pain brought by exposure therapy at all?
Similarly, when discussing anxiety caused by physical discomfort, it even mentions inducing discomfort, which is extremely presumptuous and unsuitable for pregnant women.
Moreover, due to the lack of understanding of pregnancy, many suggestions refer to consulting an obstetrician. As a result, patients might turn to obstetricians, and while it may seem like their repetitive behaviors have disappeared, in reality, the obstetrician has become a substitute for them.
2. It offers too many impractical suggestions, disguised as useful and fulfilling.
I checked the author’s background, and they seem more involved in research. Even if they have some clinical experience, their work primarily caters to psychologists or psychiatrists.
Therefore, much of the content consists of recommendations more suitable for psychologists to implement, rather than for pregnant women.
Also, although the book provides many charts and lists steps like 1, 2, 3, 4, these are merely superficial. What truly matters are the specific techniques in the practical process.
For instance, when facing obsessive thoughts, the advice given is to "balance the response." This is a correct yet useless statement. The real problem for patients is that while they know it's an obsessive thought, they still can't manage to balance the response themselves.
3. Too much useless chatter, repeating the same points over and over.
Perhaps it was to fill enough pages, but at the same time, there’s a lack of valuable and practical advice. As a result, the framework of ideas is repeated through different scenarios and symptoms.
If what’s being repeated were truly helpful, it might aid in memory. But the issue is that what’s repeated is nothing more than correct yet useless statements, making the reader feel the book is rambling.
Reading through the whole thing felt like reading a book written by AI—although it's long and organized to seem convincing and useful, when examined closely, most of it is repetitive, useless talk.
The only thing I gained was learning the concept of "productive worry," which is somewhat helpful in guiding anxiety management. But this probably isn't the value of the book itself; it’s more a result of my own lack of knowledge.
1. The author seems to lack practical experience on pregnancy-related anxiety, just applying CBT for anxiety directly to pregnant women, which involves too much assumption.
For example, exposure therapy. While it's indeed effective for patients with long-term anxiety disorders, it's not sure for pregnant women. Pregnancy is a clearly defined period, and from the onset of the issue to the end of the pregnancy, it may last less than six months, or sometimes just a few weeks or months. This means that by the time the heightened anxiety from exposure therapy has set in, the pregnancy might already be over. If that's the case, why endure the pain brought by exposure therapy at all?
Similarly, when discussing anxiety caused by physical discomfort, it even mentions inducing discomfort, which is extremely presumptuous and unsuitable for pregnant women.
Moreover, due to the lack of understanding of pregnancy, many suggestions refer to consulting an obstetrician. As a result, patients might turn to obstetricians, and while it may seem like their repetitive behaviors have disappeared, in reality, the obstetrician has become a substitute for them.
2. It offers too many impractical suggestions, disguised as useful and fulfilling.
I checked the author’s background, and they seem more involved in research. Even if they have some clinical experience, their work primarily caters to psychologists or psychiatrists.
Therefore, much of the content consists of recommendations more suitable for psychologists to implement, rather than for pregnant women.
Also, although the book provides many charts and lists steps like 1, 2, 3, 4, these are merely superficial. What truly matters are the specific techniques in the practical process.
For instance, when facing obsessive thoughts, the advice given is to "balance the response." This is a correct yet useless statement. The real problem for patients is that while they know it's an obsessive thought, they still can't manage to balance the response themselves.
3. Too much useless chatter, repeating the same points over and over.
Perhaps it was to fill enough pages, but at the same time, there’s a lack of valuable and practical advice. As a result, the framework of ideas is repeated through different scenarios and symptoms.
If what’s being repeated were truly helpful, it might aid in memory. But the issue is that what’s repeated is nothing more than correct yet useless statements, making the reader feel the book is rambling.
Reading through the whole thing felt like reading a book written by AI—although it's long and organized to seem convincing and useful, when examined closely, most of it is repetitive, useless talk.
The only thing I gained was learning the concept of "productive worry," which is somewhat helpful in guiding anxiety management. But this probably isn't the value of the book itself; it’s more a result of my own lack of knowledge.
August 19, 2024
This book saved me. I couldn't believe that some of the feelings I had were valid, real and true. I thank this book for getting me through the postpartum period when I felt so crazy and alone. Thank you to the author for talking about things that are not talked about enough. I got this book recommendation from my therapist and have gifted it to all of my girlfriends going through pregnancy and postpartum. Read this book and gift it as much as you can!
March 25, 2022
Elementary
July 18, 2023
Prob not unique to pregnancy/postpartum but it saved my lil tushy/brain when that time came
February 28, 2015
This is a great resource for new moms (or moms to be) struggling with anxiety. Although many of the exercises can also be used with people who are not pregnant or postpartum, the examples all make it very accessible for postpartum moms. I plan to use much if this book in my postpartum clinic.
February 18, 2015
Clear and concise descriptions of anxiety symptoms along with practical suggestions and worksheets. A useful adjunct to therapy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews