When new parents have scary thoughts

Unwanted, intrusive thoughts during the postpartum period.

When you have a baby, it’s completely normal to feel like you can’t stop thinking about them—your life has changed overnight, and suddenly you’re responsible for keeping a tiny human alive. These shifts in thinking are a natural part of early parenthood.

But what many new parents don’t realize is that the brain can also start generating disturbing or unwanted thoughts—like imaging something terrible happening to your baby, or even a fleeting fear that you might become violent yourself.

These are called intrusive thoughts, and they’re surprisingly common. They don’t mean you’re a bad parent or that you’ll act on them—in fact, research shows nearly everyone experiences intrusive thoughts at some point. For new parents, stress, sleep deprivation, and hormonal changes can make these thoughts even more distressing.

One of the most helpful things you can do is learn what intrusive thoughts are, why they happen, and how to know when to seek support. You can read more about postpartum intrusive thoughts here.