Anxiety in the perinatal period

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is newborn and they…

• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm into their chest, or always crossing their legs 
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own 
  • You may also find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy, or have floppy arms or legs when awake
• Move their arms and legs in repetitive jerky movements, or writhing movements
• Don’t have a Grasp Reflex (doesn’t grab your finger or small object when you put it in their hand)
• Are often startling and you cannot understand why
• Move one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Rarely moves one of their arms compared to the other arm
  • Rarely moves one leg compared to the other leg
  • When your baby startles, one side moves or looks different from the other

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is 6-8 weeks and they…

• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm into their chest, or always crossing their legs 
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own
  • You may also find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy, or have floppy arms or legs when awake
• Move their arms and legs in repetitive jerky movements, or writhing movements
• Have not started to bring both their hands to their face, or do not move their arms much
• Keep their hands fisted, and you find it difficult to open their hands
• Can’t lift their head when lying on their tummy
• Move one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Mostly moves one arm or mostly brings one hand to their face
  • Rarely kicks or moves one leg compared to the other leg

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is 2-3 months and they…

• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm into their chest, or always crossing their legs
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own
  • You may also find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy, or have floppy arms or legs when awake
• Move their arms and legs in repetitive jerky movements, or writhing movements
• Have not started to bring both their hands to their face, or do not move their arms much
• Keep their hands fisted, and you find it difficult to open their hands
• Can’t lift their head when lying on their tummy
• Move one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Mostly moves one arm or mostly brings one hand to their face
  • Rarely kicks or moves one leg compared to the other leg

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is 3-4 months and they…

• Have lost skills which they could do before
• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm to their chest, or always crossing their legs
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own
  • You find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy when awake
• Prefer to keep their arms by their sides. For example, they do not reach for things, or do not bring their hands together over their face or tummy
• Move their arms or legs in repetitive, jerky, or strange ways
• Still need you to support their head, or can’t lift their head when lying on their tummy 
• Have very tight fists and it’s hard to open their hand
• Move one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Rarely use one of their arms to pick up toys 
  • Rarely kick one leg compared to the other

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is 4-6 months and they…

• Have lost skills which they could do before
• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm to their chest, or always crossing their legs
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own
  • You find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy when they are awake
• Move their arms or legs in repetitive, jerky, or strange ways
• Move one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Rarely use one of their arms to pick up toys 
  • Rarely kick one leg compared to the other
• Are unable to roll, or can roll in one direction but not the other
• Find it difficult to reach their arms out. For example, they do not reach for toys
• Still have their early reflexes, like the startle reflex and grasp reflex
• Keep their legs flat when lying on their back. For example, they do not bring their feet to their chest
• Still need you to support their head

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is 6-9 months and they…

• Have lost skills which they could do before
• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm to their chest, or always crossing their legs
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own
  • You find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy when they are awake
• Move their arms or legs in repetitive, jerky or strange ways
• Move one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Rarely use one of their arms to pick up toys, or eat and drink
  • Rarely kick one leg compared to the other
• Can’t sit without support. For example, they lean on their hand, or, when they sit, their back is very curved
• Still have their early reflexes, like the startle reflex and grasp reflex
• Keep their legs flat when lying on their back, for example, do not bring their feet to their chest
• Still need you to support their head
• Still need you to help turn their head when lying on their back
• Can’t crawl, or find it hard, for example, drags one of their legs behind them
• Find it difficult to stand, for example:
  • Can’t stand with support 
  • Doesn’t try to pull themselves up to stand
• Can’t move a toy from one hand to the other
• Doesn’t use both hands to hold larger things

Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby is 9-12 months and they…

• Have lost skills which they could do before
• Feel very stiff, for example:
  • Hold their arms and legs in the same position, such as always pulling their arm to their chest, or always crossing their legs
  • Find it difficult to change their position on their own 
  • You find it difficult to move your baby’s arms or legs, making it tricky to change their nappy or clothes
• Feel very floppy when they are awake
• Move their arms and legs in repetitive, jerky, or strange ways
• Use one side of their body more than the other, for example:
  • Lean to the side when they sit
  • Use one arm to pull to stand more than the other
  • Rarely use one of their arms to pick up toys, or eat and drink. 
  • Rarely kick one leg compared to the other 
• Find it difficult to sit, for example:
  • Only sit with support
  • Lean on their hand when sitting
  • When they sit their back is very curved
• Can’t move a toy from one hand to the other
• Don’t use both hands to hold larger things
• Don’t point to objects
• Can’t crawl, or find it hard, for example, drags one leg behind them
• Find it difficult to stand, for example:
  • Can’t pull themselves up to stand
  • Find it hard to pull themselves up. For example, they only use their arms and don’t push with their legs
  • Can’t stand with support

Social/Emotional Milestones

• Calms down when spoken to or picked up
• Looks at your face
• Seems happy to see you when you walk up to her
• Smiles when you talk to or smile at her

Language/Communication Milestones

• Makes sounds other than crying
• Reacts to loud sounds

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Watches you as you move
• Looks at a toy for several seconds

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

• Holds head up when on tummy
• Moves both arms and both legs
• Opens hands briefly

Social/Emotional Milestones

• Smiles on his own to get your attention
• Chuckles (not yet a full laugh) when you try to make him laugh
• Looks at you, moves, or makes sounds to get or keep your attention

Language/Communication Milestones

• Makes sounds like “oooo”, “aahh” (cooing)
• Makes sounds back when you talk to him
• Turns head towards the sound of your voice

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving

• If hungry, opens mouth when he sees breast or bottle
• Looks at her hands with interest

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

• Holds head steady without support when you are holding him
• Holds a toy when you put it in his hand
• Uses his arm to swing at toys
• Brings hands to mouth
• Pushes up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy

Social/Emotional Milestones

• Knows familiar people
• Likes to look at self in a mirror
• Laughs

Language/Communication Milestones

• Takes turns making sounds with you
• Blows “raspberries” (sticks tongue out and blows)
• Makes squealing noises

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Puts things in her mouth to explore them
• Reaches to grab a toy she wants
• Closes lips to show she doesn’t want more food

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

• Rolls from tummy to back
• Pushes up with straight arms when on tummy
• Leans on hands to support herself when sitting

Social/Emotional Milestones

• Is shy, clingy, or fearful around strangers
• Shows several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry, and surprised
• Looks when you call her name
• Reacts when you leave (looks, reaches for you, or cries)
• Smiles or laughs when you play peek-a-boo

Language/Communication Milestones

• Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
• Lifts arms up to be picked up

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Looks for objects when dropped out of sight (like his spoon or toy)
• Bangs two things together

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

• Gets to a sitting position by herself
• Moves things from one hand to her other hand
• Uses fingers to “rake” food towards himself
• Sits without support

Social/Emotional Milestones

• Plays games with you, like pat-a-cake

Language/Communication Milestones

• Waves “bye-bye”
• Calls a parent “mama” or “dada” or another special name
• Understands “no” (pauses briefly or stops when you say it)

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Puts something in a container, like a block in a cup
• Looks for things he sees you hide, like a toy under a blanket

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

• Pulls up to stand
• Walks, holding on to furniture
• Drinks from a cup without a lid, as you hold it
• Picks things up between thumb and pointer finger, like small bits of food