Therapy During Pregnancy: New Research Suggests Benefits for Mom and Baby

A new study published in Nature Communications adds to growing evidence that therapy during pregnancy may help two people at once. Researchers followed pregnant women who had symptoms of depression from pregnancy through their babies’ first six months of life. Importantly, because the study focused on women with depression symptoms, its findings speak most directly to moms in that situation.

How Therapy Helped Moms

The study built on an earlier clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry, in which 234 pregnant women with symptoms of depression were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received a short form of talk therapy that focuses on relationships, communication, and social support. The other group received their usual care, plus an education session about depression during pregnancy and regular check-ins. By the end of pregnancy, about 6% of women in the therapy group still had major depression, compared with about 26% in the comparison group. Crucially, that relief came before the baby arrived – just as life was about to get busier than ever.

How Therapy May Benefit Babies

The benefits did not stop with mom. A follow-up analysis of the same trial found that therapy was associated with longer pregnancies and more babies born full term. After birth, the researchers kept checking in. Babies whose moms received therapy showed differences in early brain development. Those differences were associated with calmer reactions at 6 months, when the babies met a noisy, moving toy robot in a playful lab test. This matters because babies who become very distressed in new situations may face a higher risk of mental health challenges later in life.

This is one study, and the researchers are still following these children to learn whether the benefits last. Even so, the findings suggest that pregnancy is an important window for mental health care, where caring for mom may also give her baby a stronger start.

Therapy helps many people manage stress, work through difficult emotions, and feel more like themselves again. During pregnancy, however, its benefits may reach even further, because so much is changing at once: bodies, relationships, routines, and a sense of identity. Notably, the therapy used in this research focused on exactly those pressures, helping women strengthen their relationships and build the support they would need after birth.

In practice, therapy during pregnancy often helps with:

• Worry about labor, delivery, or becoming a parent
• Changes in your relationship after baby arrives, including how you and a partner share the work
• Balancing a job, family, and the mental load of preparing for a newborn
• Low mood, irritability, or losing interest in things you usually enjoy
• Planning ahead for postpartum support

Starting therapy before the baby arrives means a trusted relationship is already in place if challenges such as postpartum depression show up later. Therapy also comes in many forms. From talk therapy that centers on relationships to approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, a provider can help find the approach that fits each person. The next step is knowing when it may be time to reach out.

Pregnancy naturally brings ups and downs, and not every hard day signals a problem. However, it may be worth reaching out to a therapist if any of these feel familiar:

• Sadness, emptiness, or tearfulness that lingers most days
• Worry that feels hard to switch off or keeps you up at night
• Feeling disconnected from the pregnancy or the baby
• Pulling away from friends, family, or activities you once enjoyed
• Feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks
• Thoughts of harming yourself – if this happens, call or text 988 or seek emergency care right away

Above all, reaching out early is not a sign that something is wrong. Rather, it is a way of giving both mom and baby a stronger start.

Finding the right support may feel like one more task on an already long list. However, a few simple steps can make the search easier, so you can find someone who feels like a good fit for this season of life.

Look for the Right Credentials

Many licensed mental health professionals can provide therapy during pregnancy. Common credentials include:

• Psychologist (PhD or PsyD): Holds a doctoral degree and is trained in therapy and psychological testing.
• Licensed clinical social worker (LCSW or LISW): Provides therapy with a focus on the person’s wider life, including family, work, and community support.
• Licensed professional counselor (LPC, LPCC, or LMHC): Helps with stress, anxiety, depression, and life changes.
• Licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT): Specializes in relationships, which can be especially helpful as a family grows.

Some therapists also hold a perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C), which shows extra training in the emotional ups and downs of pregnancy and the months after birth. To understand the full range of therapist credentials, it can also help to prepare a few questions to ask a therapist before the first session, such as how they approach pregnancy-related stress and what a typical session looks like.

Consider Bringing Your Partner or Family Along

Therapy during pregnancy doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Pregnancy changes the whole household, from who handles late-night feedings to how partners share the growing to-do list. Couples therapy can give partners a calm space to talk through those shifts before the baby arrives, while family therapy can help older children, grandparents, or other loved ones adjust to the changes ahead. Every conversation that eases stress at home may help create a steadier start for mom and baby alike.

Choose In-Person, Online, or Both

Today, therapy can fit around a busy pregnancy in more ways than one. In-person sessions offer a dedicated space away from home and work, which many people find helps them settle in and open up. Online therapy can save a commute on days when fatigue, nausea, or a packed schedule make leaving the house hard. Many people find that combining online and in-person sessions gives them the best of both, so it is worth asking a provider which options they offer.

Explore Group Therapy Options

For some moms-to-be, connecting with others who are going through the same changes can be a comfort all its own. Group therapy brings together a small group led by a licensed therapist, offering a place to share experiences, learn new coping skills, and to realize you are not alone.

Get the Right Level of Care

Every pregnancy is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health care. For some moms, a set of therapy sessions may be enough; for others, care may also include a psychiatrist to discuss whether medication management makes sense. Encouragingly, care can make a measurable difference: a study of thousands of LifeStance patients found that 79% showed clinically significant improvement in anxiety symptoms and 73% experienced clinically significant improvement in depression symptoms compared to where they started.

Making therapy a priority during pregnancy may feel like one more item on a long list. But it may be one of the most meaningful ways to care for yourself, and for the little one on the way.