Given the prevalence of postpartum OCD and obsessive symptoms in women with postpartum depression, we should devote more time to this topic.  This is an informative and well-written article by Alice Wolton on postpartum OCD in Forbes.  In this piece, she mentions a recent study from Timpano and colleagues at the University of Miami where cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was used to prevent postpartum OCD.

In her study, Timpano showed that CBT can be an effective preventative method for postpartum OCD. She and her colleagues studied women who suffered from anxiety while pregnant and had them take a course on OCD symptom awareness and CBT methods to address potential symptoms. The women who took the course had much lower risk of developing OCD after they gave birth than women who were enrolled in regular childbirth classes.

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