Chapter 7 172 "At least an information day or something. So that you know if you're struggling with things, you can go here or there. Even if it's at the perinatal psychiatry outpatient clinic or something. Just to have more information." (Participant 2) She also shared that it would be even more valuable if the MHP before pregnancy had knowledge about the peripartum challenges instead of having to find a new MHP in the peripartum period. "But I think if there would be more information [...] whether a psychologist or so could offer something like that, if you're already seeing a psychologist, that might be an even better step." (Participant 2) Participant 3 hoped that healthcare professionals would, in general, pay more attention to mental health symptoms to ensure early treatment. She saw this opportunity for midwives. "So, in addition to the physical questions, maybe you could ask more, like: oh yeah, and where are your concerns? Do you have a lot of worries? How is it going inside your brain? Yeah, do you wake up feeling okay in the morning?" (Participant 3) Coping After the discovery, the third theme exemplifies how women coped with UP and cooccurring mental health symptoms during pregnancy. One step at a time Women adopted different coping mechanisms to address the unexpectedness of the UP. Participant 5 illustrated how she concentrated on each day, without looking at the future. This prevented her from feeling overwhelmed. At the start of the interview, she denied her pregnancy. This coping mechanism of not thinking about the future could indicate another form of denial of the current stressful situation that is the result of UPs. "I never wanted a kid, it's kind of really a bit, yeah, it drove me a bit anxious and, like, the not knowing what to do and what I want and ehm, but then. Well, I'm trying to, to concentrate on each day." (Participant 5) For participant 8, comparable coping strategies seemed helpful. She describes how distraction is the way for her to feel better.
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