Therapist Marie-Claude Hamel Discusses Navigating The Perinatal Period For Women: The Effects Before, After and During Pregnancy

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / December 8, 2025 / When we think about preparing for a baby, most of us picture nursery colors, prenatal vitamins, and birth plans. But what about preparing for the psychological effects that pregnancy and new motherhood represent? Marie-Claude Hamel, who specializes in perinatal mental health and integrates psychodynamic therapy with trauma-informed practices like EMDR, has observed a troubling pattern: women are walking into one of life’s most transformative experiences emotionally unprepared for what’s coming. Not as they’re inadequate, but because society has failed to prepare them.

“We hand women pregnancy books and tell them which foods to avoid, but we rarely prepare them for the identity shifts or the anxiety spirals that can accompany becoming a mother.”

Before the Positive Test: Mental Health Starts Earlier Than You Think

Most discussions about maternal mental health begin at conception. Marie-Claude Hamel believes this is a critical mistake.

The Invisible Pressure of Pre-Conception

The decision to have a child, or the attempt to conceive, carries psychological weight that often goes unacknowledged. Women today face an unprecedented convergence of pressures: optimize your health,time it perfectly with your career,ensure your relationship is stable,achieve financial security,and oh,don’t wait too long because your fertility window is closing.

This pressure creates what Marie-Claude Hamel calls “pre-conception anxiety”, a state of chronic stress that can establish unhealthy mental patterns before pregnancy even begins. Women who experience fertility challenges may develop anxiety disorders that persist even after accomplished conception, coloring their entire pregnancy experience with fear rather than joy.

Knowing Your Psychological starting Point

Marie-claude hamel advocates strongly for women to conduct what she terms a “mental health inventory” before trying to conceive. This isn’t about achieving perfect mental health, that’s neither possible nor necessary. it’s about understanding your emotional baseline so you can anticipate how pregnancy’s hormonal and psychological changes might affect you.

Do you have a history of depression that tends to worsen with hormonal fluctuations? Are you prone to anxiety? Do you have unresolved trauma that might be triggered by the vulnerability of pregnancy or the intensity of childbirth? Identifying these potential vulnerabilities allows you to proactively seek support and develop coping strategies.

Anxiety as Messenger, Not Enemy

Rather than viewing pregnancy anxiety as something to eliminate, Marie-Claude hamel encourages women to listen to what it’s communicating.Worries about childbirth may signal a need for more education or support planning. fears about parenting abilities might indicate a need to address perfectionist tendencies. concerns about relationship changes could prompt crucial conversations with your partner.

“Anxiety isn’t always pathological,” Marie-Claude explains. “Sometimes it’s your psyche’s way of flagging issues that need attention.”

This reframe reduces the secondary suffering that comes from judging yourself for having concerns. Rather of thinking “I should be happy, why am I anxious?”, you can think “What is this anxiety trying to tell me, and how can I address it constructively?”

The Support You Actually Need

Marie-Claude Hamel is direct about what pregnant women need: not reassurance that everything will be fine, but acknowledgment that pregnancy is psychologically complex and permission to feel the full range of emotions it brings.

This might mean continuing or beginning therapy during pregnancy, joining support groups where honest conversations happen, or simply finding one person who won’t respond to your concerns dismissive optimism.

After Birth: the overlooked Mental Health Crisis

If pregnancy’s psychological aspects are under-discussed, the postpartum period’s mental health challenges are catastrophically misunderstood. Society’s focus on the baby frequently enough renders the mother’s internal experience invisible until it reaches crisis levels.

The Biochemical Crash

Within hours of giving birth, a woman’s body experiences one of the most dramatic hormonal shifts possible. the hormones that sustained pregnancy plummet while prolactin surges. This isn’t a gentle transition, it’s a biochemical crash occurring simultaneously with physical recovery from birth and the demands of caring for a newborn.

Marie-Claude describes this as “being asked to perform at your best while you’re still recovering from a major operation.” The expectations placed on new mothers are wildly inconsistent with their neurochemical and physical reality.

Marie-Claude says it feels like being asked to perform at your best while you’re still recovering from a major operation

Baby Blues or Something More Serious?

The majority of new mothers, up to 80%, experience what’s termed “baby blues”: mood swings, tearfulness, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed. These typically resolve within two weeks as

Prioritizing Perinatal Mental Health: A Proactive Approach

The period surrounding childbirth – known as the perinatal period – is a time of immense joy, but also significant vulnerability. Many women experience mental health challenges during this time,ranging from the “baby blues” to more serious conditions like postpartum depression and anxiety. Traditionally, support has focused on treating these conditions *after* they emerge.But a growing movement, led by experts like Marie-Claude Hamel, is advocating for a more proactive, preventative approach.

The Scope of the Problem

Perinatal mental health disorders are surprisingly common. Approximately 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression, and rates of anxiety are even higher. These conditions don’t just affect the mother; they can also impact the baby’s development and the entire family dynamic. Yet, stigma and a lack of accessible care frequently enough prevent women from seeking help.

Shifting the Paradigm: From Reactive to Proactive

Marie-Claude Hamel, a leading voice in perinatal mental health, believes the current system is fundamentally flawed. “We’ve been operating under a model of crisis response for too long,” she explains. “We wait until women are struggling considerably before intervening. We need to start thinking about prevention – building resilience *before* the challenges become overwhelming.”

This proactive approach involves several key components. First, it requires normalizing conversations about perinatal mental health. Women need to feel safe discussing their struggles without fear of judgment. Second, it necessitates increased screening for mental health risks during prenatal and postpartum care. Identifying women who are at higher risk allows for early intervention and support.

The Importance of Relationship Dynamics

Hamel also emphasizes the crucial role of the partner and family. The transition to parenthood is a significant adjustment for everyone involved. Unresolved conflicts and unrealistic expectations can exacerbate stress and contribute to mental health challenges. “It’s vital to address the relationship dynamics,” Marie-Claude observes.This requires difficult conversations about disappointments, unmet expectations, and resentments before they calcify into relationship-destroying patterns.

Practical Support That Actually Helps

Marie-claude Hamel is pragmatic about what new mothers need. Conventional self-care advice, take a bubble bath, go for a walk, practice yoga, often feels out of reach for women with newborns. Instead, she advocates for what she calls “micro-interventions”: two-minute mindfulness practices, text-based connections with other mothers, accepting help with laundry or meals without guilt. Self-care during the postpartum period looks radically different than it did before, and that’s okay.

She also emphasizes the importance of community. Isolation is one of the greatest risk factors for postpartum depression, yet new mothers frequently enough find themselves profoundly alone. Finding even one other mother to have honest conversations with can be protective.

Prevention,Not Just Crisis Response

Marie-Claude Hamel’s vision for perinatal mental health care moves away from waiting for women to reach crisis points before offering support.She advocates for