A woman during pregnancy has to face a lot of changes related to health, physiology, and emotional state. One of the possible problems during this period is prenatal depression. Although most expectant mothers perceive pregnancy as a time of waiting for a miracle, sometimes a different reaction is possible, caused by a number of difficulties or worries.
How does it manifest?
At a certain period, any pregnant woman becomes whiny, irritable, sad. Most often this is determined by hormonal changes in her body, and not by prenatal depression, but in some cases it is worth suspecting something amiss.
The following symptoms may indicate that a woman has prenatal depression:
- feeling of own uselessness,
- guilt,
- severe anxiety about the birthing process,
- excessive irritability
- constant fatigue
- fear of becoming a bad mom for a baby,
- difficulty making decisions
- difficulty in memorization,
- inability to concentrate
- constant depressed mood,
- sleep disorders that are not related to the expectation of the baby,
- weight gain or loss not due to pregnancy,
- loss of interest in sex.
Some of these symptoms can accompany even a very positive expectant mother, but the complex of such manifestations most often indicates serious problems when it is worth contacting a specialist - a psychologist or psychotherapist.
What is it caused by?
There are no clear reasons why some women experience prenatal depression, but there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of it:
- problems in family relationships (any difficulties in a relationship with a partner can become a reason for the appearance of fear of loneliness and depression),
- a predisposition to depressive conditions (depression in the past or the presence of a problem in one of the relatives),
- negative memories associated with pregnancy (loss of a child or difficulty in childbirth),
- pathology of pregnancy (if the expectation of the baby is complicated by medical problems, severe stress may arise about one's "inferiority"),
- lack of support from loved ones (when serious changes are coming, support from others is necessary).
Any painful experience can become a reason for the development of prenatal depression, but it is important to track what kind of thought or situation interferes with the normal expectation of the baby.
Why is it dangerous?
There is no objective data on how depression can affect the course of pregnancy and the future development of the child, since very few cases of referrals with similar problems to specialists are recorded. Nevertheless, it is believed that a child of a depressed mother may have some deviations in mental development, a predisposition to illness, and also become squeezed and emotionally closed in the future. Whether this is true or not, it is better not to find out from your own experience.
There is evidence that almost all women who experience depression during pregnancy do not go away from these conditions after childbirth. Many patients who seek psychological help after the birth of a baby noted that the first symptoms appeared during pregnancy, i.e. the more well-known postpartum depression is a kind of continuation of prenatal depression.
How to deal with it?
To start solving a problem, you need to understand and accept it. The next step is to contact a specialist or your doctor. Better to tell what is bothering you and try to understand why. Only in the most extreme cases does the doctor prescribe antidepressants to the pregnant woman. There are drugs that are harmless enough for the child, but no one will risk the health of expectant mothers and babies once again.
For mild depression, it is worth visiting a psychotherapy group or working with a psychologist individually. Sometimes working through past negative experiences helps to completely get rid of problems, in other cases art therapy techniques are used, for third cases meditative or trance techniques will be appropriate. In the course of the work, it will become clear whether this or that method is effective or not.
You can even help yourself get out of prenatal depression on your own:
- You can drive bad thoughts out of your head with the help of your favorite business. Creating culinary delights, watching your favorite movie, sewing, painting - any activity that was previously enjoyable will do.
- It is helpful to have a daily routine and follow it rigorously. It provides for getting up every day at the same time, meals, walks, rest and other manipulations and procedures necessary for every expectant mother. In this regard, "Groundhog Day" will allow not to think about something negative, but to remember what has not yet been accomplished from the planned.
- When fatigue rolls over and there is absolutely no desire to do something, light exercises will help restore tone. At first they have to be performed through force, but gradually a surge of energy will be felt. During pregnancy, we recommend activities designed specifically for expectant mothers: aqua aerobics, yoga or fitness for pregnant women, etc. On such programs, you can not only drive away depression, but also find new girlfriends who will surely have something to share with others.
- You should not constantly spend time at home alone, waiting for your husband from work or a corporate party. Pregnant women can also date girlfriends and friends, go to the movies, or take photography classes.
You should always try to ensure that the main thought of a woman during pregnancy is the realization of the imminent birth of a beautiful baby. The joy of the fact that soon one of the most important and beloved people in the world will finally sleep next to him, should drive away prenatal depression and return the joy of life.
