The Real Reason You Feel Like Something Bad Is About to Happen
You’re holding your baby. The room is quiet. Nothing’s technically wrong.
But your chest feels tight.
Your mind is racing.
And somewhere deep in your body is this heavy, haunting feeling:
“Something bad is about to happen.”
Maybe you check the baby monitor over and over.
Maybe you find yourself imagining worst-case scenarios out of nowhere.
Maybe you lie in bed, exhausted, but unable to fall asleep because your brain won’t stop scanning for danger.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy.
There’s a real, trauma-informed explanation for why this happens- especially in early motherhood.
Let’s talk about it.
What This Feeling Really Looks Like in Motherhood
This isn’t your average anxiety. It’s deeper. Quieter. Heavier.
It’s a sense of dread that shows up when you least expect it.
You might notice:
Constantly imagining worst-case scenarios (accidents, illness, SIDS)
Feeling panicked when your partner doesn’t text back immediately
Rechecking your baby’s breathing, monitor, or safety gear obsessively
Being unable to relax even when things are “fine”
Feeling on edge all day, with a tight chest or unsettled stomach
Trouble falling asleep- even when your baby is finally sleeping
You might even feel ashamed for feeling this way.
You tell yourself:
“I should be grateful.”
“Nothing bad has even happened.”
“Why can’t I just calm down?”
Here’s the truth: this isn’t just anxiety.
It’s a survival response.
Why This Happens: A Trauma- Informed Explanation
That feeling of impending doom? It’s not a flaw in your personality.
It’s your nervous system doing exactly what it was wired to do: keep you safe.
When you’ve lived through trauma- whether it was emotional neglect, a chaotic or unsafe childhood, birth trauma, or even past medical trauma- your brain adapts by staying on high alert.
This is called hypervigilance.
It’s what happens when your body learns that danger can come out of nowhere- and it’s your job to always be ready.
So even when things are calm, your system doesn’t believe it.
It’s constantly scanning, waiting, bracing.
That tight feeling in your chest? That’s your fight-or-flight system, trying to protect you.
Those racing thoughts? That’s your brain trying to predict danger so it can keep you ahead of it.
Motherhood Can Reactivate Old Wounds
Becoming a mom is a massive emotional and psychological shift.
And for many moms, especially high-achieving, people-pleasing women with childhood trauma, motherhood reopens old attachment wounds.
You might suddenly feel:
Alone, even when surrounded by people
Insecure, even when you’re doing everything “right”
Terrified of not being enough
Unworthy of asking for help
Pair that with the immense responsibility of keeping a baby alive, the cultural pressure to be perfect, and a healthcare system that often abandons moms postpartum- and it makes perfect sense that your system is on high alert.
This isn’t you “overreacting.”
This is your body remembering what it was like to not feel safe and trying to keep it from happening again.
This Doesn’t Get Better by “Thinking Positive”
You can’t affirm your way out of a dysregulated nervous system.
When your body is stuck in survival mode, it doesn’t respond to logic- it responds to felt safety. That’s why traditional advice like “just relax” or “you’re overthinking it” feels invalidating and doesn’t help.
What does help is trauma-informed therapy that supports your brain and body in learning that it’s safe now.
At Happy Moms Therapy, we help you:
Understand your trauma and how it shows up in motherhood
Learn nervous system regulation tools that actually work (not just bubble baths)
Use EMDR therapy to gently process past trauma and reduce the intensity of current triggers
Build trust in yourself and in your ability to handle uncertainty without spiraling
This work is powerful. And it’s possible. Even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.
There’s Nothing Wrong With You- You’re Wired for Protection
That inner alarm you feel? It once served you.
It helped you survive things no child should have had to handle alone.
But now, in motherhood, it’s no longer protecting you- it’s exhausting you.
And you don’t have to live in that constant state of bracing anymore.
You’re not “too sensitive.”
You’re not dramatic.
You’re not making it up.
You’re a mom doing her absolute best while carrying a nervous system that’s been on guard for far too long.
You Deserve to Feel Safe, Too
At Happy Moms Therapy, we support moms who are living in that silent space between “grateful for my baby” and “why do I feel like I’m unraveling?”
We blend trauma-informed therapy, EMDR, CBT, and nervous system work to help you:
Calm the fear that something bad is always around the corner
Rewire patterns that were never your fault
Feel more present with your baby and more at home in your body
Learn how to rest, receive, and trust yourself again
You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode.
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to get help.
You’re allowed to want peace- and actually feel it.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
You’re not imagining things.
But you also don’t have to live like this forever.
If you’re ready to understand what’s really going on beneath the anxiety and learn how to truly feel safe again- let’s talk.
Reach out for a free consultation. No pressure, just support.
Disclaimer: This is not a replacement for a therapeutic relationship or mental health services. This is for educational purposes only and should be in used only in conjunction in working with a licensed mental health professional. If you are in California and looking for a professional therapist feel free to use the contact me to request an appointment or search Psychology Today for local therapists in your area.
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