ADHD, Pregnancy, and Postpartum
- Outreach APW
- 8 minutes ago
- 4 min read
If you spend a great deal of time reading about and researching maternal mental health like we do at Anchor Perinatal Wellness, you’ll begin to see a pattern in the literature. Words and phrases like “vulnerable,” “stress,” and “burden of motherhood” come up again and again. This makes sense–childbirth is a major life event that demands a birthing person take on a new identity as parent, often coupled with the physical recovery from birth, as well as challenges like sleep deprivation and breastfeeding difficulties.
ADHD in the Perinatal Population
There is no official diagnosis called “perinatal ADHD.”¹ However, the physical, emotional, and hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy and after birth can make life especially challenging for people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—whether they have been diagnosed or not. During this time, ADHD symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, overwhelm, and disorganization may become more noticeable or intense. While there is certainly a research gap in ADHD during pregnancy and after childbirth, the research that does exist suggests that “Mothers with ADHD have a significantly higher risk (5–6 times) of developing postpartum depression and anxiety disorders.”² This is one reason why it's so important that birthing people with ADHD take care during the perinatal period.
Parenting Challenges and ADHD
Karen Burns, an outpatient therapist at Anchor who specializes in working with perinatal patients who have ADHD, notes that some of the hallmarks of the disorder, such as deficits around time management, transitions, and planning, can feel especially challenging alongside the demands of new parenthood. Simultaneously feeling overstimulated and under-stimulated by the constant demands of parenting coupled with the tedium of parenting, respectively, is another issue Burns frequently sees with her clients. Finally, Burns notes that “A lot of people with ADHD build scaffolding to help them get through their day–such as exercise–and with a new baby, that sometimes that falls away.” This loss of “scaffolding" on top of exhaustion, frequent interruptions in schedules, and required re-prioritization of tasks when caring for a newborn means people with ADHD may need extra support.
“You don’t need to white knuckle it. You don’t need to tough it out.”
Medication and Therapy
Burns explains that the “gold standard” for treating ADHD in the general population is a combination of medication and therapy, specifically cognitive based therapy because that modality targets executive functioning skills and is highly structured, two components that benefit the ADHD brain. However, significant stigma still exists around prescribing medication during pregnancy and postpartum, and “it is common for care providers to advise patients to stop ADHD medications if they are contemplating pregnancy or are pregnant."¹ As with most topics related to pregnancy and maternal mental health, more research is needed on the subject of ADHD medication and pregnancy, but current guidelines emphasize the importance of weighing the risks of taking medications for ADHD during pregnancy against the risks of untreated or under-treated ADHD, particularly in people with moderate to severe ADHD. The take away? Don’t ever stop taking medication for a mental health condition without talking to a trusted medical provider first. For a deeper dive on this topic, The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology is a great resource, including this short educational video.
Basic Stress Reduction
Beyond medication and therapy, Burns encourages her clients with ADHD to lean into basic self-care and stress reduction strategies:
Rest
Sleep
Sunlight in the morning
Physical activity
Eating nutritious foods
These are all helpful in managing ADHD symptoms. She also suggests “pairing"–the idea of coupling a desirable task with an undesirable task. For example, if you hate washing bottles but love listening to podcasts, put on your favorite podcast while you wash the bottles.
Support Groups
Burns leads a ADHD perinatal support group through Postpartum Support International where attendees focus on building self-compassion and learning how to coach their partners to respond with greater understanding and support.
One of the group’s core concepts is “the glass ball and the rubber ball.” As Burns explains, “Some responsibilities are glass and they’ll shatter if dropped. Others are rubber and they can bounce. The key question is: What truly needs your attention right now, and what can you safely put down?” This framework helps parents reduce overwhelm and prioritize what matters most in a season that often feels unmanageable.
The group also explores co-regulation, which is the practice of calming your own nervous system while helping your baby calm theirs. Because babies rely on caregivers to regulate their stress, tending to your own body and breath can directly support your baby. For example, taking slow, deep breaths while holding your baby can help both of you settle. Rather than trying to “fix” the baby’s distress, the focus is on creating a shared sense of calm.
If you feel like you would benefit from the extra support offered by this group, it's free to attend.
In short, while the perinatal period can be tough for people living with ADHD, in the words of Burns, ““You don’t need to white knuckle it. You don’t need to tough it out.” With the right support, practical tools, and self-compassion, this season can become more manageable. ADHD doesn’t disqualify you from being a steady, loving parent. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not failure.
Anchor Perinatal Wellness has multiple resources to help people struggling, including free maternal mental health screenings, intensive outpatient therapy, and outpatient therapy.
References
¹Scoten, O., Tabi, K., Paquette, V., Carrion, P., Ryan, D., Radonjic, N. V., Whitham, E. A., & Hippman, C. J. (2024). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in pregnancy and the postpartum period. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 231(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2024.02.297
²Kooij, J. J. S., et al. "Research Advances and Future Directions in Female ADHD: The Lifelong Interplay of Hormonal Fluctuations with Mood, Cognition, and Disease." Frontiers in Global Women's Health, vol. 6, 2025, pp. 1613628. ProQuest, https://login.proxy055.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/research-advances-future-directions-female-adhd/docview/3264304077/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1613628.
Written by Bridget Bell
Reviewed by Karen Burns, MSW, LCSW, PMH-C and Veronica Kemeny, LCSW, PMH-C.
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