Perinatal / postpartum anxiety contagious?
Is postpartum or perinatal anxiety “contagious”? Do other moms’ anxiety about their pregnancies and babies increase others’ anxiety?
I’m a laid back person and am noticing other moms’ anxieties are making me question if I’m supposed to be anxious about the same things they are. I notice I feel defensive when people tell me all the things they think I should be buying and doing to babyproof my home, or warning me of how difficult everything in my life will be once baby is here (‘you’re going to be lonely, you’ll lose hair, you won’t sleep well, you can’t shower, you’ll hate your pets’). I know people mean well, but I don’t want to approach parenthood with the amount of anxiety and stress I notice others experiencing.. but all the advice I’m receiving is causing me to doubt myself..
Thoughts?