What Does Postpartum Anxiety Feel Like?

Written By Laura Kauffman

Postpartum anxiety often manifests as an overwhelming sense of worry that seems impossible to turn off. You might experience racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping even when your baby is asleep, a tight feeling in your chest, irritability, or a nagging sense that something bad is about to happen. It can feel as though your mind is constantly on high alert, and your body struggles to relax.

While some level of worry is normal for new parents, postpartum anxiety surpasses typical concerns. It can be relentless, all-consuming, and physically exhausting.

If this resonates with you, know that you are not alone, and you are not failing.

Postpartum Anxiety vs. “Normal” New Mom Worry

Many new mothers wonder: Is this just a normal adjustment, or is it postpartum anxiety?

Normal worry tends to:

  • Come and go

  • Feel manageable

  • Respond to reassurance

  • Ease as you gain confidence

Postpartum anxiety often:

  • Feels constant or intrusive

  • Includes repetitive “what if” thoughts

  • Makes it hard to rest, even when your baby is safe

  • Comes with physical tension or panic

  • Feels out of proportion to the situation

It’s less about how much you love your baby and more about how activated your nervous system feels.

Common Postpartum Anxiety Symptoms

Postpartum anxiety symptoms can show up mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Some women describe constant “what if” thoughts that spiral quickly. Physically, anxiety may feel like tightness in your chest, shallow breathing, restlessness, or an inability to relax. You might feel like you’re always bracing for something to go wrong. Even small stressors can feel disproportionately overwhelming.

Over time, this level of internal activation becomes exhausting.

Why Postpartum Anxiety Happens

Several factors can contribute:

  • Rapid hormonal shifts after birth

  • Sleep deprivation

  • A heightened sense of responsibility

  • Prior history of anxiety

  • Birth trauma

  • Childhood trauma or attachment wounds resurfacing

  • A nervous system already prone to hypervigilance

Motherhood is a massive transition physically, emotionally, and relationally. If you’ve experienced trauma in the past, the vulnerability of caring for a baby can activate old patterns of fear or protection.

What Postpartum Anxiety Feels Like in the Body

One of the clearest ways to understand postpartum anxiety is through the lens of the nervous system.

Many women describe feeling constantly “on.” They startle easily. They scan for problems. They struggle to take a full, relaxed breath. Their bodies feel tense even during calm moments.

This is the fight-or-flight response doing its job — just at full volume.

Anxiety isn’t simply overthinking. It’s a physiological state. Your body believes there is danger, even when your mind knows you are safe. Without support, it can be difficult to shift out of that pattern on your own.


When to Seek Support for Postpartum Anxiety

You don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable to reach out.

If anxiety is interfering with sleep, bonding, daily functioning, or your sense of self, therapy can help. If you feel unlike yourself, constantly overwhelmed, or stuck in repetitive fear, that’s enough reason.

Postpartum anxiety is common. It is also highly treatable.

How Therapy Can Help with Postpartum Anxiety

Perinatal therapy focuses specifically on pregnancy and postpartum mental health. Trauma-informed therapy and EMDR therapy can help if birth trauma or earlier experiences are contributing to your anxiety.

In therapy, we work to:

  • Calm and regulate your nervous system

  • Process birth trauma or unresolved stress

  • Reduce intrusive thoughts

  • Strengthen emotional steadiness

  • Help you feel more grounded in motherhood

When your nervous system begins to settle, your thoughts often follow.

You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

If you’re experiencing postpartum anxiety, support is available. You deserve care in this season, not just for your baby, but for you.

I offer perinatal and trauma therapy in West Chester, PA, with virtual sessions available throughout Pennsylvania. If you’re wondering whether therapy could help, I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

Postpartum anxiety is common. It’s treatable. And you are not alone.

Book your free consultation HERE.

Laura Kauffman