Perinatal OCD (often called “postpartum OCD” or “maternal/paternal OCD”) is a legitimate mental health condition that can be experienced by parents, whether or not they are a childbearing parent. It can affect parents of any gender and can occur during the pregnancy period and/or after the baby’s birth. This resource center includes information about what perinatal OCD is, how it’s treated, information for loved ones, information for clinical providers, and resources to help navigate life and care for those affected.
Remember — you are not alone! There is hope and help available for you.
Being a new parent comes with joy, but it can also bring unexpected challenges. In this special interview, Bravo reality television star Scheana Shay shares her journey with postpartum OCD — a condition that affects many new parents but is often misunderstood or overlooked.
What started as an overwhelming sense of fear quickly spiraled into intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that felt impossible to control. Scheana reveals the immense fear of being judged, the challenges of recognizing her symptoms as OCD, and how seeking help through therapy, medication, and evidence-based treatments like exposure and response prevention (ERP) gave her a path to healing.
This Resource Center was developed by the Public Awareness subcommittee of the Perinatal OCD Task Force, a partnership between the IOCDF and the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (formerly known as "2020 Mom"). Thank you to our many contributors and supporters who made this resource center possible, including: Megan A. Barthle-Herrera, PhD, PMH-C; Joy Burkhard, MBA; Lindsay Devon; Cindy Herrick, MA, PMH-C, CPSS, MHFA; Allison Livingston; Joseph P.H. McNamara, PhD; Ashley R. Ordway, MEd, EdS, LMHC
Special thanks to Danielle Laine Cooke, PhD and Melissa Anne Mulcahy, PhD from the Research subcommittee of the Task Force for their extensive literature review that provided many of the facts and statistics referenced in this Resource Center.
