There has been increasing recognition that anxiety disorders and symptoms are very common in the perinatal period (from pregnancy to the first year postpartum). Anxiety has been defined in the DSM as apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger, which may be internal or external. It is important to consider perinatal anxiety in the context of increased threat and dysregulation due to physical, social and emotional changes at this time, and the interface with the tasks and demands of caregiving. This can be particularly difficult in the context of unwanted intrusive thoughts of infant harm, especially when appraised that the risk is from the parent themselves. Presenting data from a range of studies, this talk will centre on the phenomenology of anxiety in the perinatal period, considering the interactions between parenting, perceived parenting and mental health, and how psychological treatments need to be adapted to attune to these factors to optimise outcomes for parent and child.