---
title: 'Anxiety in Pregnancy: Why It Happens and What Can Help'
slug: anxiety-in-pregnancy-why-it-happens-and-what-can-help
lifeStage: pregnancy
category: Mood
medicalReviewer: 'Dr Jade Thomas, HCPC Registered Psychologist and BPS Chartered Psychologist'
reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/pregnancy/medical-board.md#dr-jade-thomas'
lastUpdated: '2026-07-30'
primarySource: 'Perinatal mental illnesses'
wordCount: 1374
readTimeInSeconds: 343.5
---

# Anxiety in Pregnancy: Why It Happens and What Can Help

Anxiety in pregnancy is common, affecting up to one in four women. The persistent worry, racing thoughts, or tight chest that can come with pregnancy may feel overwhelming, and they are recognised symptoms with clear support behind them. This article looks at why anxiety arises during pregnancy, how it shows up in your body and your mind, including intrusive thoughts, and the practical steps that can help. It also explains when and how to ask for professional support.

**Q: How common is anxiety in pregnancy?**
A: Anxiety in pregnancy is common, affecting up to one in four women. Some worry is part of pregnancy. When it becomes hard to control or starts to get in the way of everyday life, it is worth speaking to your midwife or GP.

Anxiety in pregnancy can feel like a worry that will not quiet down, a chest that stays tight, or a mind that loops through worst-case scenarios in the small hours. These feelings are common. Anxiety during pregnancy, sometimes called antenatal or perinatal anxiety, affects up to one in four women. Some worry about a new or growing baby is part of pregnancy. When that worry becomes hard to control and starts to affect your daily life, it is worth paying attention to.

## Why anxiety in pregnancy is so common

If you feel more emotionally sensitive than usual, hormones are part of it. Oestrogen and progesterone rise through pregnancy, and those shifts can leave worry closer to the surface.

Anxiety can show up for the first time in pregnancy, or something you have dealt with before can return or feel stronger. It can be more likely if you have a personal or family history of anxiety, a previous pregnancy loss, a lot of stress going on, or a history of trauma. If any of these feel familiar, it is worth raising them with your midwife or GP so the right support can be in place.

## What worry looks like during pregnancy

You might worry about your baby's health, how you will get through labour and birth, money or relationship changes, and whether you will cope as a parent. Worries about miscarriage, birth defects, and early labour are common too. A strong fear of childbirth, called tokophobia, is a recognised condition with support available, and it may weigh heavily throughout your pregnancy.

### Intrusive thoughts and what they mean

Intrusive thoughts arrive without warning, and they can be frightening. They are unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that feel distressing and out of step with how you actually feel. During pregnancy and the months around birth, they often centre on your baby. Common themes are accidental harm, like "what if I drop the baby?", or, more rarely, thoughts of deliberate harm. These can feel deeply alarming.

Intrusive thoughts are very common. Having them does not mean you want to act on them, and it does not mean you will. They are a recognised feature of anxiety and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and they say nothing about your character or your ability to be a parent. If they are distressing or hard to manage, speak to your midwife or GP.

## Physical symptoms of anxiety in pregnancy

Anxiety shows up in your body as well as your mind. You might notice your heart racing or skipping (palpitations), a faint or dizzy feeling, or shortness of breath. A churning stomach, tense muscles, headaches, sweating or hot flushes, and grinding your teeth can all come with it too.

> **WARNING**: Important: palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, and hot flushes can also be signs of pregnancy emergencies, including pre-eclampsia and a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), both more common in pregnancy. If any of these are new, severe, or do not ease, call your midwife, GP, or NHS 111 to rule out a physical cause before putting them down to anxiety.

When these symptoms hit suddenly and hard, it may be a panic attack. Panic attacks often bring a feeling of dread or a fear of dying, and they can be very frightening. They come on fast and tend to arrive with catastrophic thoughts, which can help tell them apart from other pregnancy symptoms. If you are ever unsure whether you are having a panic attack or a physical emergency, call 111, or 999 if symptoms are severe.

## Practical tools that can help

Talking about how you feel, whether with a partner, friend, family member, midwife, or GP, is a useful first step. Keeping it all in tends to make anxiety harder to handle over time.

Gentle movement that is safe in pregnancy, like walking, swimming, or yoga, can ease stress and lift your mood. It is worth checking with your midwife or GP before you start anything new. Eating well across the day supports how you feel overall, too.

Breathing exercises and meditation can help you settle. Mindfulness may take the edge off worries about labour, though it may or may not work for you. Antenatal classes can give you practical information, build your confidence, and put you in touch with others going through the same thing.

For mild to moderate anxiety, self-help based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a practical talking-therapy approach, can be a good starting point. If your anxiety is persistent or severe, these can sit alongside professional care as part of a wider toolkit.

## When to seek support for anxiety in pregnancy

Speak to your midwife or GP if you feel anxious most of the time, your worries are getting in the way of daily life, the anxiety feels hard to control, or you are having panic attacks. You do not need to wait until things feel like a crisis. Asking early gives you more options and more time to feel the benefit of them.

Your midwife, health visitor, or GP can talk through what support is available. The most common option is a talking therapy such as CBT. In England, NHS Talking Therapies is free, available across the country, and lets you refer yourself. If you are in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, similar services run through your local NHS, so ask your GP or midwife what is available near you, as the way you refer yourself differs.

For more severe or complex difficulties, your GP or midwife may refer you to a specialist perinatal mental health service. Specialist Maternal Mental Health Services are being set up across England to support things like birth trauma and tokophobia, though what is on offer varies by area, so check with your midwife or GP about what you can access locally.

If your anxiety is tied to a previous traumatic birth, the Birth Trauma Association offers peer support and resources.

> **WARNING**: If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call 999 now, go to your nearest A&E, or contact your maternity triage. You can also call the Samaritans any time on 116 123. Thoughts like these can be a sign of a perinatal mental health crisis, and they respond well to treatment.

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**Q: How common is anxiety in pregnancy?**

Anxiety in pregnancy is common, affecting up to one in four women. Some worry is part of pregnancy. When it becomes hard to control or starts to get in the way of everyday life, it is worth speaking to your midwife or GP.

**Q: What are the physical signs of anxiety in pregnancy?**

You might notice a racing or irregular heartbeat, a faint or dizzy feeling, shortness of breath, a churning stomach, tense muscles, headaches, sweating, or grinding your teeth. Because some of these can also point to pregnancy conditions like pre-eclampsia, call your midwife or GP if any symptom is new, severe, or does not ease.

**Q: What should you do if you are having intrusive thoughts during pregnancy?**

Intrusive thoughts are very common during pregnancy and the months around birth. Having them does not mean you want to act on them. They are a recognised feature of anxiety and OCD. If you find them distressing or hard to manage, speak to your midwife or GP. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123.

**Q: How is anxiety in pregnancy treated?**

The most common treatment is a talking therapy such as CBT. In England, you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies, which is free. For more complex needs, your GP or midwife may refer you to a specialist perinatal mental health service. Self-help based on CBT can support mild to moderate anxiety alongside professional care where you need it.

**Q: When should you contact your GP or midwife about anxiety in pregnancy?**

Contact your GP or midwife if you feel anxious most of the time, anxiety is affecting your daily life, you are struggling to control your worry, or you are having panic attacks. You do not need to be in crisis to ask for help. Earlier support usually means more options and a better chance of feeling well through your pregnancy.

### Clinical Sources
- [Perinatal mental illnesses](https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/about-maternal-mental-health/perinatal-mental-illnesses/)
- [What is Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?](https://maternalocd.org/about-perinatal-ocd/)
- [Maternal mental health services](https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/perinatal/maternal-mental-health-services/)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [Your mental health and wellbeing in pregnancy](https://www.nhsinform.scot/ready-steady-baby/pregnancy/relationships-and-wellbeing-in-pregnancy/your-mental-health-and-wellbeing-in-pregnancy/)
- [Perinatal OCD](https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression-and-perinatal-mental-health/perinatal-ocd/)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [Anxiety and panic attacks in pregnancy](https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/mental-wellbeing/anxiety-and-panic-attacks-pregnancy)
- [Mental health](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/mental-health/)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [RCOG: Management of Women with Mental Health Issues during Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period](https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/4gikqggv/managementwomenmentalhealthgoodpractice14.pdf)
- [Anxiety in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/mental-health-in-pregnancy-and-after-the-birth/anxiety-in-pregnancy/)
- [Find care for your mental health before, during and after pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/find-care-for-your-mental-health-before-during-and-after-pregnancy/)
- [birthtraumaassociation.org](https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/)
- [birthtraumaassociation.org](https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/)
- [Perinatal mental health](https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/perinatal/)

---
Reviewed by Dr Jade Thomas, HCPC Registered Psychologist and BPS Chartered Psychologist | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/pregnancy/medical-board.md) | July 2026