# 165. Perinatal OCD vs Normal Parental Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ocd-whisperer-podcast-with-kristina-orlova-1214844/165-perinatal-ocd-vs-normal-parental-anxiety-how-to-tell-the-difference
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ocd-whisperer-podcast-with-kristina-orlova-1214844/165-perinatal-ocd-vs-normal-parental-anxiety-how-to-tell-the-difference.md
Podcast: [The OCD Whisperer Podcast with Kristina Orlova](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-ocd-whisperer-podcast-with-kristina-orlova-1214844)
Published: 2026-01-02T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://ocdwhisperer.podbean.com/e/165-perinatal-ocd-vs-normal-parental-anxiety-how-to-tell-the-difference/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/a4wfsjc27qiqykxu/Betty_ep_165_V_ONLYb45g8.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1278

## Resource

🤰These Thoughts Don’t Mean You Want to Harm Your Baby In this second of two episodes about perinatal OCD on The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova is joined again by Betty Flores, LCSW, a perinatal mental health specialist and founder of Perinatal Wellness, for an honest and deeply needed conversation about perinatal OCD, intrusive thoughts, pregnancy, and postpartum mental health. Betty shares her own lived experience with undiagnosed perinatal OCD—including how both she and her therapist initially missed the signs—and how that journey ultimately led her to specialize in helping parents who feel terrified by thoughts they don’t understand. Betty opens up about: • Experiencing intrusive thoughts during postpartum that were misunderstood as “normal worry” • Why perinatal OCD is often missed or minimized—even by trained professionals • Taboo intrusive thoughts involving harm and why they don’t reflect intent • How reassurance, checking, and mental review quietly fuel the OCD cycle • Why ERP therapy and proper education changed everything Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, supporting a loved one, or trying to understand intrusive thoughts, this conversation offers clarity, education, and relief—without minimizing how real and painful this experience can be. 📲 About Betty Flores (guest): • Certified in Perinatal Mental Health | EMDR | ERP • Perinatal OCD/Anxiety, Reproductive Trauma, Grief & Loss • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perinatal_wellness/ • Perinatal Wellness: https://www.perinatal-wellness.com/ ✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] – When the Expert Misses OCD in Herself: A Therapist’s Undiagnosed Perinatal OCD[03:19] – Why Perinatal OCD Is So Often Misdiagnosed (Even by Professionals)[05:40] – Normal Parent Worry vs OCD: The One Difference That Changes Everyth…

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## Transcript

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