Tackling Maternal Anxiety in the Perinatal Period: Reconceptualising Mothering Narratives

For many mothers in Australia, worries about pregnancy, birth and parenthood have become a source of considerable anxiety. Although apprehension and heightened concern are normal responses to change, raised expectations, contradictory information, the increased surveillance of mental health issues and a fragmented health system may contribute to the higher prevalence of anxiety. In this paper, we identify challenges surrounding maternal anxiety, including the limitations of current approaches to prevention and treatment, and the role the ‘good mother’ narrative may play in increasing anxiety. An overview of our research at Western Sydney University (WSU) demonstrates how working with mothers, and those who support them, can optimise resilience and hope and allow for new ways to celebrate the diverse experience of motherhood within our communities. Our ultimate goal is to transform the narrative from one that pathologises mothers, and those who support them, to one that normalises, embraces and celebrates the diverse, natural concerns about parenting.