Does anyone here have children? I read that OCD is hereditary and that it can get worse during and after pregnancy. That terrifies me so much and I’m scared to have children

I have OCD and I’m pregnant with my third right now. I’m scared, but my desire to have another baby is greater than my fear.

Honestly @nafisa I get it!! When I found out my wife was pregnant I was sooo terrified. Not gonna lie it was a challenge but it was the veeeerrryyyy best thing to ever happen in my life!! Not only do I love my daughter sooo much but it has immensely helped my pocd and now I have two daughters and work with kids.

Do you mean you’re scared to pass OCD on to your children? I can relate to that! My dad has anxiety (I think OCD, but not sure), and I have it too. But, im happy to be alive even if I have OCD! I think if you teach them what anxiety is while they’re growing up, you can try to prevent it. I feel like if I knew about intrusive thoughts, I would’ve reacted to that first thought differently.

Thanks everyone. I have PureO so I’m scared of my intrusive thoughts like “could I cope if I had a baby” “what if I hurt the baby” etc. that’s my biggest fear

@letitbe I have found motherhood to be the part of my life that I am the calmest. I used to have those “what if” thoughts before becoming a mom but I found that those are also the thoughts that I am able to dismiss the easiest.

I got diagnosed with OCD long after my kids were born, despite having it my whole life, and having post partum OCD flares that were severe, I have 3 kids. One has signs generalized anxiety and obsessive thoughts, but it’s been better for her than it was for me because I recognized it early and we talk about it. She’s also had therapy. I had no one to talk to when growing up and people just made me feel like I was weak for my OCD behaviors, I grew up feeling like a failure. So it’s better for her than it was for me. Also I recently met my biological father and he had signs of it, so I do believe it runs in the family. But it’s definitely worth having kids, even if my OCD is still present and even if I “passed it on” to a kid. My kids made me a better person and the level of understanding they show for my OCD is touching. I think the types of conversations we’ve been able to have have made them more compassionate adults, and I was more attuned to their fears as kids and they were better for that. It’s worked for us.

I have two kids and had and still have pocd ha

I have 3, and they’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. The “good” thing is that if I notice some ocd signs, I can take them to therapy as soon as I can. It took me years to realize that I had a mental disorder, maybe my ocd wouldn’t be this bad if I had gone to a therapist when it first started ??‍♀️ I think my mom has it too, but i don’t think she knows that it is ocd

Hello, I think it‘s good you worry for your kids but wanted to mind not to look to hard for any ocd signs in them, otherwise it could be a self fulfilling prophecy. Like my mother worried so much that I won‘t be normal that it actually became true, cause as a kid you feel weird when you always get the impression there is or might be something wrong with you