Pre Natal Depression

PRENATAL DEPRESSION

Everyone knows about baby blues after you've given birth and the more serious post natal depression but we never hear about depression that occurs during pregnancy or prenatal depression. I've read on various websites and in research paper that there could be as 70% of all pregnant woman that will experience at some stage some of the symptoms of depression during their pregnancy. Thats a high enough number not to ignore and certainly something we should all be able to talk about.

To experience SOME of the symptoms at SOME stage in the 9mths sounded a bit vague so when I looked into it I discovered that in fact these depressive symptoms are often more minor than a full flown diagnostic depression which is typically only seen in about 10-15% of pregnant women. There's a huge difference between having a bad day and being clinally depressed, crying because you feel fat and being clinically depressed, feeling like you'll be a dreadful mother and being clinically depressed.

That's why it's important to realise that whilst hormones have a bad name, they really are only part of the problem. Stress of pregnancy is another huge factor; and stress comes for many reasons, was the pregnancy planned? the finances involved, will you be moving house? giving up work? your own relationship ups and downs and many more.....

The problem with depression when you are pregant is that it has other implications on how you eat, sleep, exercise etc...all of which impact your baby and all of which then create a cycle to make the depression worse.

I found from talking to women with pre natal depression (the more serious cases) that they felt very confused; they knew they should be happy but couldn't understand why they felt so low.

The biggest issue with depression during a pregnancy is spotting it. So many of the symptoms are the same as pregnancy symptoms. Some woman walk around with clinical depression for months thinking they are just having a tough pregnancy.

The main symptoms are:

Problems concentrating

Problems with sleeping

Fatigue

Changes in eating habits

Feeling anxious

Irritability

Feeling down/low

So what can you do to help? TELL SOMEONE. Whether that's your partner? best friend? mother? doctor? midwife? Just tell SOMEONE. Let someone know and that in itself is a big step. You need a support network and failing that you should reach out to a psychologist. In somecases you can talk it through and in other cases medication is used. I don't believe in it's use generally (and there are some safe ones for pregnancy) but I also know of woman who wouln't have made it through on thier own despite their support network.