You're Not Losing Your Mind — This Is New Mom Anxiety
The racing thoughts, worst-case scenarios, and constant checking aren't signs you're failing. They're signs your nervous system is overwhelmed — and that's treatable. You're safe here. Nothing you say will surprise us.
Recognizing the Signs
What New Mom Anxiety Actually Feels Like
Anxiety doesn't always look like panic attacks. For most new moms, it's quieter — a constant hum of worry that never quite turns off.
"I can't sleep even when the baby's asleep because my mind won't stop running through worst-case scenarios"
"I check if she's breathing so many times I've lost count — and I still don't feel reassured"
"I have scary, intrusive thoughts that make me question if I'm safe to be around my baby"
"My chest feels tight, my stomach is in knots, and I can't shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen"
"I avoid certain situations (driving, being alone with baby, leaving the house) because the fear is too overwhelming"
"I'm stuck in mental loops — the same worries, over and over, no matter how much I try to logic my way out"
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place. You're not broken, and you're not alone.
Understanding What's Happening in Your Brain and Body
You're Not Broken — Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Overdrive
New mom anxiety isn't a personality flaw or a sign you're not cut out for this. It's your nervous system working overtime to keep your baby safe — but it's gotten stuck in high alert mode.
Here's what's happening: Your postpartum brain is biologically wired to be hypervigilant. Evolution programmed you to scan for danger, anticipate threats, and protect your baby at all costs. That's adaptive — it kept humans alive for millennia.
The problem? When you add sleep deprivation, hormone crashes, isolation, and the crushing weight of 24/7 responsibility, your threat detection system can't turn off. Your body floods with adrenaline and cortisol even when there's no real danger. You're not overreacting — your nervous system is.
The extraordinary news? This is treatable. With the right support — therapy, nervous system regulation techniques, community, and sometimes medication — you can recalibrate your alarm system. You can feel calm again. You can sleep. You can enjoy your baby without the constant dread.
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
Get Support Now →Choose the Support That Fits Your Life Right Now
Two Pathways to Feeling Like Yourself Again
1:1 Postpartum Therapy
Work with a licensed perinatal therapist who specializes in postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and OCD. Get personalized, evidence-based treatment tailored to your brain, your history, and your specific symptoms. Available in-person in Austin or virtually anywhere in Texas. Start with a free 15-minute consultation—no pressure, just support.
- Free 15-minute consultation to see if we're the right fit
- Clinical treatment for anxiety, OCD, and intrusive thoughts (CBT, EMDR, exposure therapy, somatic work)
- Diagnosis, treatment plans, and medication coordination if needed
- Out-of-network insurance reimbursement available (many clients get 50-80% back)
Self-Paced Education & Tools
A psychologist-created program teaching you the science of postpartum anxiety and giving you tools to manage intrusive thoughts, calm your nervous system, and reclaim your mental space. Available from anywhere, on your timeline. Start with a 14-day free trial—no credit card required. This is education, not clinical treatment — it complements therapy but doesn't replace it.
- 14-day free trial to explore the full program risk-free
- Video lessons on anxiety, nervous system regulation, intrusive thoughts, and identity shifts
- Downloadable exercises, worksheets, and guided practices you can use immediately
- Access to supportive community and expert guidance ($29.99/month after trial)
Understanding the Difference
What's "Normal New Mom Worry" vs When You Need Help
Normal New Mom Worry
Some anxiety is protective and expected: checking if baby is breathing, worrying about milestones, feeling overwhelmed by the learning curve. This kind of worry comes and goes. It doesn't consume you. You can still sleep, bond with your baby, and function day-to-day.
When Anxiety Becomes a Problem
Postpartum anxiety crosses the line when it's constant, intrusive, and stealing your ability to live. If the worry never shuts off, if you're paralyzed by fear, if you can't sleep even when baby sleeps, if intrusive thoughts are scaring you — that's not "just being a new mom." That's a treatable mental health condition, and you deserve support.
About Intrusive Thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, disturbing thoughts that pop into your head uninvited (like images of harm coming to your baby). They're extremely common in postpartum anxiety and OCD. **You are not dangerous.** These thoughts are ego-dystonic — meaning they horrify you precisely because they go against who you are. Having them doesn't make you a bad mom. It makes you someone who needs help quieting an overactive threat-detection system.
If you're not sure if what you're experiencing is "normal," that uncertainty itself is a signal to reach out. You don't have to be in crisis to deserve help.
If you're experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, or if you feel like you might act on intrusive thoughts, please reach out for immediate help. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room. You deserve to be safe, and there are people ready to help you right now. This website provides education and resources, but it's not a substitute for emergency or crisis care.
What Changes When You Get the Right Support
"I finally started sleeping again — not just because baby was sleeping, but because my brain could actually turn off. The intrusive thoughts lost their grip on me."
Lauren K.
Sleeping Through the Night Again
"I stopped feeling like I was the only person in the world who felt this way. Learning that these thoughts were common — and treatable — was the turning point."
Brittany M.
Feeling Less Alone
"I could actually enjoy moments with my baby instead of bracing for disaster. I didn't realize how much anxiety was stealing from me until it lifted."
Jasmine R.
Present With Her Baby Again
What Austin Moms Are Saying
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile
I just finished the postpartum course, and it was such a valuable resource. As a new mom, I've had so many moments of wondering what's "normal" and feeling like I was the only one struggling. This course helped me understand what's actually common in postpartum, gave language to what I was feeling, and made me feel genuinely seen and supported.
Becky Vincent
4 reviews • 3 photos
Dr. Rundle has been such a tremendous help to me through pregnancy, postpartum, and now motherhood. She provides a safe, understanding space where I always feel heard, and she offers thoughtful guidance along with practical recommendations that truly make a difference. Her expertise in maternal mental health is clear, but what stands out most is her compassion and ability to connect.
Lauren Hintz
Local Guide • 15 reviews
Dr. Rundle is an outstanding clinician- warm, empathic, competent and exceptionally knowledgeable in maternal mental health from both her personal experiences and professional training. She has been instrumental in my peri and postpartum wellbeing and I cannot recommend her services more. If you need support (and let's be real, who doesn't!), don't think twice about scheduling a consultation and prioritizing this time in your life!
Yasmeen Neal
7 reviews
We're Here to Help You Find the Right Path
Common Questions About New Mom Anxiety Support
You Deserve to Feel Calm Again
The worry doesn't have to be this loud. The fear doesn't have to run your life. Whether you're in Texas and ready for therapy or anywhere in the world and looking for guided support, we're here to help you find your way back to yourself — and back to enjoying your baby.