Postpartum OCD Therapy
When Anxiety Starts Feeling Impossible to Turn Off
Having a baby can bring an overwhelming amount of responsibility, uncertainty, and worry. But sometimes those worries become more than everyday new-mom anxiety.
Maybe you're exhausted from constantly feeling on high alert. You check on your baby one more time, Google one more symptom, ask your partner for reassurance one more time—and still can't shake the feeling that something might go wrong. You may be afraid to be alone with your baby, avoiding things that used to feel completely normal, or spending precious moments of motherhood caught in your head instead of experiencing them. And underneath all of the worry may be a painful question: “Why do I feel like I have to be constantly on guard?” If this sounds familiar, please know that you're not a bad mom, and you're not failing at motherhood. There is a reason this feels so overwhelming—and there is help.
These experiences can be symptoms of perinatal or postpartum OCD—even if you've never had OCD before.
I provide specialized postpartum OCD therapy and perinatal mental health treatment for women in Conroe, The Woodlands, North Houston, and Northern Colorado, with telehealth available to clients in Texas and Colorado.
Treatment incorporates Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), an evidence-based treatment for OCD, along with a specialized understanding of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and the transition to motherhood.
You May Be Wondering...
If you're experiencing postpartum OCD, you may find yourself asking:
Why can't I stop thinking something bad will happen to my baby?
Why do I keep checking that my baby is breathing?
Why am I having such disturbing thoughts about my baby?
Does having these thoughts mean something is wrong with me?
Why do I keep asking my partner, family, or doctor for reassurance?
Why am I avoiding certain things because I'm afraid something terrible will happen?
Why am I constantly worried about my babies safety, getting sick, or germs?
Why do I keep researching symptoms, illnesses, or parenting questions?
Is this postpartum anxiety—or could it be OCD?
I've never had OCD before. Could I really have postpartum OCD?
If any of these sound familiar, you're not alone—and you don't have to figure out on your own exactly what is happening.
What Is Postpartum OCD?
Postpartum OCD is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that occurs during pregnancy or after having a baby.
OCD involves a cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or fears that create distress or uncertainty. Compulsions are the things you do—physically or mentally—to try to reduce that distress, prevent something bad from happening, or feel certain that everything is okay.
During pregnancy and postpartum, OCD may become particularly focused on your baby, your pregnancy, your role as a mother, or the responsibility you feel for keeping your baby safe.
For some women, the symptoms are immediately recognizable as OCD. Others have never experienced OCD before and may simply believe they have become an extremely anxious mother.
You do not need to have a previous OCD diagnosis to experience postpartum OCD.
And you don't have to figure out the diagnosis before reaching out for help.
What Does Postpartum OCD Look Like?
Postpartum OCD doesn't always look like the stereotypical picture of OCD. Compulsions aren't necessarily obvious rituals, and many of the behaviors can look like reasonable attempts to keep your baby safe.
The difference is often found in how frequently you feel driven to do them and whether they have become a way of managing anxiety and uncertainty.
Intrusive Thoughts and Images
You may experience unwanted thoughts or mental images about:
Your baby being harmed or becoming seriously ill
Accidentally harming your baby
Making a terrible mistake as a parent
Your baby being contaminated or exposed to something dangerous
Something going wrong during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum
Losing control or doing something you don't want to do
Being responsible for something bad happening
Making the “wrong” parenting decision
Failing to protect your baby
The thoughts may feel completely inconsistent with who you are and what you want.
You may even find yourself thinking:
“Why would I think something like that?”
Checking and Other Compulsions
You may find yourself:
Checking your baby's breathing repeatedly
Checking your baby for signs of illness or injury
Repeatedly checking locks, appliances, or other potential dangers
Googling symptoms or health concerns over and over
Asking your partner or loved ones to reassure you
Repeatedly asking your doctor or pediatrician the same question
Mentally reviewing something you did to make sure you didn't make a mistake
Replaying conversations or events in your mind
Avoiding situations, objects, or activities that trigger your fears
Monitoring your thoughts to make sure you're not having a “bad” thought
Trying to push intrusive thoughts out of your mind
Looking for certainty that your baby is safe—or that you're a good mother
These behaviors may provide relief for a moment.
But the relief doesn't last.
The fear returns, and you feel compelled to check, research, avoid, or seek reassurance again.
That's the OCD cycle.
Is This Postpartum Anxiety or Postpartum OCD?
Postpartum anxiety and postpartum OCD can look very similar, and it's possible to experience symptoms of both.
With postpartum anxiety, you may worry about something happening to your baby and find it difficult to shut off those worries.
With OCD, the worry may become part of a cycle in which you feel compelled to do something to make the uncertainty go away.
You may check.
You may research.
You may ask someone to reassure you.
You may avoid something that feels dangerous.
You may mentally review what happened.
You may try to convince yourself that your fear isn't true.
And once you feel better, the worry eventually returns.
The important question isn't simply “Am I anxious?”
It's also:
“What am I doing in response to my anxiety?”
A thorough clinical assessment can help identify what's happening and what type of treatment may be appropriate.
You don't need to know whether it's anxiety or OCD before you reach out. That's something we can explore together.
What If I've Never Had OCD Before?
You don't have to have a history of OCD to develop perinatal or postpartum OCD.
For some women, pregnancy or becoming a mother can bring OCD symptoms to the surface for the first time.
This can be especially confusing when you have never thought of yourself as someone with OCD.
You may instead think:
“I'm just an anxious person now.”
“I should be able to handle this better.”
“I'm just being overly cautious.”
“Every mom worries this much, right?”
Or you may not realize that the repeated checking, reassurance-seeking, researching, or avoidance you're doing is actually maintaining the anxiety.
If you're not sure what you're experiencing, that's okay.
You don't need to diagnose yourself before contacting me.
What If I'm Having Scary Thoughts About My Baby?
One of the most distressing parts of postpartum OCD can be experiencing thoughts or images that feel completely unacceptable to you.
You may wonder:
“What kind of mother thinks this?”
“What if having this thought means I secretly want it to happen?”
“What if I can't trust myself?”
Intrusive thoughts can be frightening precisely because they are so inconsistent with what you want and value.
An intrusive thought is not the same thing as an intention to act on that thought. But when a thought feels threatening, it's natural to want to get rid of it, analyze it, or make absolutely certain it will never happen.
Unfortunately, those attempts to achieve certainty can become part of the OCD cycle.
This is one reason specialized assessment and treatment are important. Therapy can help you understand what's happening, identify the patterns that are keeping you stuck, and learn a different way of responding to intrusive thoughts and uncertainty.
How Does ERP Help With Postpartum OCD?
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the “gold standard” evidence-based treatment for OCD.
At its core, ERP helps you gradually approach thoughts, situations, sensations, or uncertainties that OCD has taught you to fear—while learning to resist the compulsive behaviors that temporarily reduce your anxiety.
The goal isn't to make you stop having intrusive thoughts.
And it isn't about convincing yourself that nothing bad could ever happen.
Instead, treatment helps you develop greater tolerance for uncertainty and learn that you don't have to perform a compulsion every time anxiety shows up.
Over time, this can weaken the OCD cycle and give you more freedom to respond to your thoughts without letting them dictate your behavior.
What Does ERP for Postpartum OCD Look Like?
ERP is not one-size-fits-all.
Your treatment would be based on your specific fears, intrusive thoughts, compulsions, avoidance behaviors, and the ways OCD is interfering with your life.
Together, we may identify situations you have been avoiding or behaviors you have been relying on to feel safe. We then develop a treatment plan that allows you to gradually face those fears while practicing responding differently.
ERP should be collaborative, individualized, and thoughtfully adapted to your circumstances.
The goal isn't to overwhelm you or prove that you can tolerate the most terrifying situation imaginable.
It's to help you build the skills and confidence to respond differently when OCD tells you that you need certainty before you can feel safe.
And because pregnancy and postpartum come with their own real responsibilities and uncertainties, treatment takes those realities into account.
Therapy for Postpartum OCD Can Help With...
Postpartum OCD therapy may focus on:
Unwanted or intrusive thoughts and images
Repeated checking of your baby or your environment
Excessive reassurance-seeking
Repeated researching or Googling
Mental reviewing and rumination
Avoidance of situations that trigger fear
Fear of accidentally harming your baby
Fear of illness, contamination, or something being medically wrong
Excessive responsibility for your baby's safety
Perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty
Pregnancy-related OCD symptoms
Postpartum OCD symptoms
OCD symptoms that began or intensified after becoming a parent
Treatment is available through telehealth for women seeking postpartum OCD therapy in Conroe, The Woodlands, North Houston, and throughout Texas, as well as Northern Colorado, including the Fort Collins and surrounding areas.
The goal is not simply to feel less anxious in the moment.
It's to help you get back to living your life without OCD making so many of the decisions for you.
Why Work With Me?
Treating OCD requires specialized knowledge of OCD and evidence-based treatment approaches. Treating OCD during pregnancy and postpartum also requires an understanding of the unique emotional, physical, and practical realities of becoming a parent.
I've spent more than six years specializing in pregnancy and postpartum mental health and have more than 13 years of clinical experience as a therapist.
I've also completed specialized training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, allowing me to incorporate OCD-specific treatment into my work with perinatal clients.
That combination matters.
You aren't just looking for an OCD therapist.
You're looking for someone who understands OCD and the transition to motherhood.
Someone who understands that pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, sleep deprivation, feeding, infant care, and the responsibility of caring for another person can create a very different context for anxiety and OCD.
I work with women throughout Conroe, The Woodlands, North Houston, and Northern Colorado through telehealth, providing specialized support for pregnancy, postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and OCD.
My goal is to provide a space where you can talk honestly about what's happening without shame or judgment—and then work together toward meaningful change.
Meet Alison
Hi, I’m Alison Hartman a licensed marriage and family therapist in Texas and Colorado specializing in maternal mental health.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Maybe you've known for a while that something doesn't feel right.
Maybe you've been Googling your symptoms late at night.
Maybe you've been telling yourself that you're simply an anxious mom who needs to try harder to relax.
Or maybe you already know you have OCD and are looking for a therapist who understands how it can show up during pregnancy and postpartum.
You don't have to know exactly what's going on before reaching out.
If you're struggling with intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, excessive checking, reassurance-seeking, or fears that are making it difficult to be present in your life, we can explore what's happening and determine whether treatment for OCD may be appropriate.
You deserve support that takes both your mental health and your experience as a mother into consideration.