Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be something you know you have before you receive antenatal care or something you learn in the process. It typically manifests in childhood but can remain undiagnosed well into adulthood, especially in women. Pregnancy does not cause ADHD, but it can amplify symptoms to the extent that you are diagnosed during one of your antenatal appointments. This diagnosis can only help you get better support, including better antenatal care for you and your baby, so try not to worry too much about it. Understanding how ADHD can affect you in pregnancy can also help you receive better care, helping you to identify problems. Beyond this, a strong sense of how your brain works and working with that will help you navigate the postpartum period and parenthood better, so if you have just learnt you have the condition, you are a huge step closer to being the best mum you can be.

What does pregnancy with ADHD look like?

If you know you have ADHD, it’s important to tell anyone looking after you in pregnancy as soon as possible so they can assess how it impacts your care needs. Growing a baby can be joyful, but it’s also hard work. The symptoms of ADHD manifest differently for different women even when they aren’t pregnant, and it’s normal for the demands the process places on the body (e.g., nutrient and hormonal changes) to exacerbate symptoms inconsistently. Some changes to look out for include:

Increased sensitivity to stimulation: Overstimulation can cause sleep problems, stress, and emotional and psychological dysregulation.
Increased attention and memory problems
Increased executive dysfunction (e.g., problems with organisation and prioritising tasks)
Increased sensitivity to environmental changes (e.g., becoming more dysregulated by loud noises, strong smells, etc.)
Increased risk of perinatal mental health problems: Research shows that women with ADHD are more prone to emotional dysregulation generally, and this can be exacerbated by pregnancy changes. Women with ADHD are also more likely to develop antenatal anxiety and depression.
Problems with self-awareness
Increased risk of social isolation

Some of these symptoms are more dangerous for a pregnant woman than others, which is why it’s so important to get a proper diagnosis and help.

How can ADHD affect my birth?

Articulating your birth preferences clearly and advocating for yourself are both important to achieving the birth you want, and ADHD can make both more challenging. Depending on your symptoms and their severity, ADHD can also significantly increase anxiety and pain sensitivity in labour and childbirth. Your antenatal care and education can be tailored to help you overcome these, either through medications, an elective caesarean, or natural pain and anxiety management techniques like hypnobirthing.

How can pregnancy with ADHD create problems with my antenatal care?

Antenatal care involves the promotion of positive pregnancy behaviours such as keeping your antenatal appointments, attending antenatal classes, eating well, staying active, and managing stress. People with ADHD may find these harder to sustain without support. On the plus side, good support means ADHD will improve, as well as the health of the pregnancy. For example, balanced nutrition and moderate daily exercise can improve your symptoms.

You may also have trouble communicating with antenatal care providers or doing so in a comprehensive way. Optimising your antenatal appointments is vital for every expectant mother. Having someone with you to advocate for you (even if it’s just on speakerphone) can be helpful, and you can also seek advice from ADHD charities like ADHD UK or maternity support charities like Tommy’s.

Is pregnancy with ADHD always classified as high risk?

Not necessarily; it really depends on your symptoms and how the period in which you were not diagnosed has shaped you. A pregnancy is considered high-risk if there is anything about your health or personal profile that makes you more likely to experience complications.

If your ADHD is so mild and well managed that it is unlikely to impact your low-risk pregnancy, your healthcare team may not see it as an issue. However, factors like a history of ADHD-related emotional or mental health problems can make a pregnancy high-risk. We know that people with ADHD are more prone to social isolation, and if going undiagnosed has contributed to you becoming pregnant with a lack of social support, this will concern your doctor or midwife.

Research on pregnancy with ADHD shows women with the condition are more likely to have pre-eclampsia and be at risk of premature birth, both of which make a pregnancy high-risk. Women with ADHD are also more likely to be smokers, which makes pregnancy high-risk.

It’s important to remember that a high-risk pregnancy doesn’t mean anything negative is going to happen for you or your baby; it typically means extra antenatal appointments, a recommendation to give birth in a hospital, and referral to specialists where necessary.

Will pregnancy improve anything about my ADHD?

Possibly. There is some evidence that increased oestrogen in pregnancy can improve symptoms, especially in the first trimester. However, it’s important not to rely on this at any stage of your pregnancy journey. Every pregnancy is unique, and your health and that of your baby rely on your vigilance about your own symptoms.

Should I even become a mother if I have ADHD?

Yes, if you want to be a mother, you should not see ADHD as a barrier. Many mothers have conditions that their antenatal care and education need to accommodate, and as long as you are getting the support you need and feel empowered by what you are learning, you are on the right track. There are millions of parents with ADHD, and you shouldn’t feel you can’t be one of them.

For more advice on taking care of yourself in pregnancy, labour, and birth, check out Unii’s Antenatal Classes, with prenatal video episodes taught by senior NHS midwives, an award-winning obstetrician and gynaecologist, and six other leading healthcare experts. Only at unii.com.

Antenatal Class Questions: How can ADHD affect pregnancy and birth?

October is ADHD Awareness Month.