Pregnancy is full of uncertainty, but for folks with OCD, it can be incredibly uncomfortable

and distressing. In this episode, we explore how OCD shows up across the four major stages

of the perinatal experience. First at conception, then we have miscarriage,

fears, delivery, and then postpartum. We're also going to offer evidence-based support,

including ERP, with lots of compassion along the way. Today we have Erin Jones. She is a PMHC, and she's going to share with us what that means. And we're here to

talk about all of the concerns that you may be having during this very, very vulnerable stage. So

thank you for being here, Erin. Thank you so much. I'm so glad to be here. So what is a PMHC?

Yeah, well, first I'm a licensed counselor, but I also have the PMHC through postpartum support

international, which is a perinatal mental health certificate. That means that I've done some extra

training and have experience with the perinatal population. Amazing, which just makes you so perfect

for this conversation.

So let's get straight to it. So the stage one is conception. This is again the very beginning.

So what kind of OCD thoughts and compulsions do people commonly experience when trying to conceive?

I'm so glad we're talking about this for all of it, of course, but I also feel like

when we talk about pregnancy and postpartum, we're also missing the fact that OCD and anxiety can

unfortunately tackle things way before the pregnancy even happens, right? So when people are trying

for a baby, of course, there's a ton of uncertainty and not much we have control over.

So OCD loves to latch on to that.

I think when people are trying to conceive, they tends to be a lot of what if worries about things like, yeah, what if there's a problem?

What if I can't get pregnant?

And I think these things can be common for everybody.

But we start to see more OCD when the fears, I think, come up as more of just right urges.

...