Intrusive thoughts

Contact your midwife or your GP, they will be able to help. Sorry you are going through this 💗

Thank you I feel so guilty and a horrible person but I can’t control the thoughts 😰

Firstly this is SO normal. We're hardwired to look for danger, and your brain is constantly on the lookout for things that might possibly cause harm. This includes yourself! When my baby was first born I couldn't walk down stairs while holding her without thinking "what if I fell right now and crushed her?" and a million other things throughout the day. Sometimes horrendous things, like I'd be using a pair of scissors and suddenly have the image of my daughter's fingers between the blades 😬 Especially in the first 3 months ("the fourth trimester") when your hormones are still all over the place and this is all brand new to you. It will pass, but for now the thing that helped me most was just acknowledging the thoughts. I visualised it as if my brain was a separate person who was constantly worrying! e.g. I'd have an intrusive thought, and then think to myself "uh huh, thanks brain, that's really not helpful right now" Intrusive thoughts don't make you a bad person. They're your fears

Hi @Emma 🌱 this is really helpful thank you will definitely try this way of thinking when the thoughts come I’d try anything to help

Remind yourself that they're just thoughts. The key thing with intrusive thoughts is exactly that, they're intrusive, they came out of nowhere. They're not a part of you. Your reaction to them is disgust/shock/horror because you're not a bad person. You're a good mum, and it's just that the "primal" part of your brain is on high alert right now on the lookout for potential danger If it persists, and you don't feel able to distance yourself from them or you feel like you need extra support, absolutely do reach out to your health visitor/GP/midwife. I promise it gets easier though, the intrusive loud thoughts quieten down and become much easier to shoo away after some time and practice

I agree with everything @Emma 🌱 has said. I know how frightening can be, I've had them myself and you do feel horrible and guilty but you have to remember it is your brain overworking the fight or flight and danger signs. They're just thoughts and should be accepted as that, they do go away and lessen the more you settle into it. You're not a horrible person for having them 💕

This definitely isn’t medical advice so please still speak to a health care professional but just know many mothers and people all over the world can get intrusive thoughts, it doesn’t make you a bad person or mean you secretly want to do those things and it doesn’t necessarily mean you are a risk to bub I’ve had them my whole life they hardly affect me anymore xx

I had similar! Please remember you’re not alone and it’s just a thought! It’s not real and it won’t happen Did you know that you have intrusive thoughts about the people you love the most 💕 Please message me if you need any support because I know how hard this is ❤️

@Marie Cullen thank you so much! Aww I didn’t know that 🥺🤍