EMDR for Perinatal Concerns
Perinatal Phase
First and foremost, the perinatal phase pertains to the time period before, during, and/or after birth. It has also been said to span a two-year range from conception to baby’s first birthday. Dr. Mara Tesler Stein, PsyD, PMH-C, a “guru” in the perinatal mental health field, goes even further to say that the perinatal phase can continue up to three years postpartum. As you can see, there can be differing opinions about the range, but there is a lot of overlap and essentially pertains to the period of time surrounding pregnancy.
What are perinatal concerns?
Although the perinatal phase is typically seen as a special and joyous time, it isn’t always that way for everyone. Perinatal concerns include the emotional, psychological, and relational aspects within this period. This can include, but is not limited to:
Infertility and/or infertility treatments
Miscarriage
Body image issues
High-risk pregnancy
Pregnancy/fetal complications
Bedrest
Premature delivery
Birth trauma
NICU care for newborn
Postpartum Depression (PPD)
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)
Statistics
“More than 30 percent of women describe their birthing experiences as traumatic. In addition to trauma occurring in the labor and delivery suite, traumatizing and similarly disruptive incidents can occur in the effort to become pregnant…during the course of pregnancy itself…or complications in the newborn period. Because these events are common, commonly stigmatized, and rarely life-threatening, women often minimize their impact, and family members and physicians may not recognize their repercussions, making them potentially challenging to clinically detect.” (Dr. Mara Tesler Stein, PsyD, PMH-C). Furthermore, Maternal Mental Health (MMH) disorders can arise and they “include a range of disorders and symptoms, including but not limited to depression, anxiety and psychosis. These disorders and symptoms can occur during pregnancy and/or the postpartum period (together often referred to as the perinatal period).” MMH affects 1 in 5 women (800,000 women in the United States each year) and 75 percent of those women with MMH symptoms go untreated. That is 600,000 women that go untreated every year!
How can EMDR help?
EMDR therapy can be used to help women dealing with overwhelming and/or distressing perinatal experiences. One such article states that EMDR therapy can help prepare women for labor and delivery, help resolve past trauma, reduce heightened anxiety and current triggers, as well as to help facilitate a healthy connection with baby.
Is EMDR safe for pregnant women?
This is a typical question most people will ask and understandable. Dr. Jamie Marich, Ph.D., LPCC-S, LICDC-CS, REAT, RYT-500, Founder of the Institute for Creative Mindfulness, states that she has never had an OB/GYN tell her to not do EMDR therapy and that in fact the level of cortisol being produced in their body due to untreated trauma is likely more harmful to the baby than not treating it. Stein supports this by saying that she has never had an OB/GYN or Midwife say anything other than please do therapy! She goes on to say that not only can we do EMDR during pregnancy, but that we need to be. The main concern most have is that it will induce too much stress on the unborn child. “Not all stress is created equal” Stein reinforces. When there is toxic stress that is held in the body, it has a massive impact on the baby’s development and it has a four-fold increase in preterm birth, similar results in low birth weight as well as other issues. None of which are good for infant and child development. “Positive stress in pregnancy is necessary for the development of the unborn baby. This is how their nervous system is trained and prepared for life outside the uterus” states Stein, as well as “EMDR therapy is pro-parasympathic. So it behaves like adaptive or positive stress, not toxic stress.” All that being said, if there are any concerns, it is always wise to consult your OB/GYN or Midwife about your specific treatment.
How to choose an EMDR therapist
In choosing an EMDR therapist, my only advice is to make sure that they have training, consultation and/or experience working with perinatal concerns so that you get the optimal treatment you deserve. The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) makes it easy to find a therapist of your choosing with filters that help to specify what you need in a therapist.
