Pregnancy depression is a mood disorder that involves feeling sad or hopeless for at least two weeks. You may also feel extremely irritated or anxious about your baby and have difficulty concentrating or sleeping. An estimated one in 10 women have depression during pregnancy, in part due to the hormonal changes of pregnancy and the life changes of becoming a parent. Depression is a mood disorder that can affect every aspect of your life, from how you think and act to how you eat and sleep.
During pregnancy, it can impact your ability to care for yourself and your baby. Feeling this way is hard any time, but it can be especially difficult to cope when you're pregnant. There's an expectation that pregnancy is supposed to be a joyful time, so it can be hard to admit it if that's not the way you're feeling.
Know that depression is an illness, not a choice. And it's surprisingly common: About 1 in 10 women experience depression during pregnancy. Even if you're diagnosed with severe clinical depression, there are many effective treatments.
The earlier you're able to start treatment, the more effective it will be. So don't hesitate to ask for help. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. While experts don't fully understand what causes depression during pregnancy, it's likely due to a mix of emotional, physical, and environmental factors.
Preparing for a baby brings about lots of big changes, many of which feel out of your control — including concerns about giving birth, being a good parent, and the loss of your former life. Hormonal changes can also impact a woman's odds of developing pregnancy depression.
While women who have already been diagnosed with depression and anxiety are more likely to be diagnosed with pregnancy depression, many women are diagnosed with the disorder for the first time while they're expecting. Some symptoms of depression, such as fatigue or trouble sleeping, are normal during pregnancy. But you may have prenatal depression when you have a sense of sadness or hopelessness, lose interest or pleasure in things that you used to enjoy, or aren't able to function in your daily life, and these symptoms last for weeks.
It's also common for women to develop the first signs of postpartum depression PPD , or depression that develops in the year after giving birth, during pregnancy. In fact, an estimated half of women with PPD first notice symptoms of depression during pregnancy. If you think you might be depressed, talk to your provider. Only a medical or mental health professional can diagnose depression. To get some insight into your state of mind, you can also take our Pregnancy Depression Quiz.
Anyone can have depression at any point in life. But about twice as many women as men are diagnosed with depression, possibly due in part to hormonal fluctuations around menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. If you've struggled with depression or anxiety in the past — like during an earlier pregnancy or after the birth of a previous child — you're more likely to become depressed now that you're pregnant.
If you're struggling with anxiety during pregnancy , this also increases the risk of being diagnosed with prenatal depression. If depression runs in your family, you have a higher risk of the condition, and you're more likely to get it at a younger age. Women whose partners have been diagnosed with depression or another mental disorder are also more likely to experience prenatal depression.
Coping with stressful events, such as financial problems, the end of a relationship, the death of a close friend or family member, or a job loss can trigger depression during pregnancy. Smoking, drinking, or using drugs that haven't been prescribed to you by a doctor to alleviate stress increases the risk of pregnancy depression along with health complications for your baby. If you're having your baby on your own, or if you feel isolated or receive little support from friends or family, you have a higher risk of depression.
Having relationship problems or an unsupportive partner can also increase your risk of depression. Having pregnancy complications, such as birth defects in the baby or being pregnant with multiples, increases the risk of pregnancy depression. Previously going through a pregnancy loss or traumatic birth also increases the risk of experiencing depression during a subsequent pregnancy. Pregnancy is already physically demanding, which can make managing a chronic illness such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes more challenging.
In addition, having preexisting diabetes or gestational diabetes while pregnant increases the risk of pregnancy depression. Finding out you're pregnant when you weren't planning to be can be extremely stressful and increases the risk of depression. It's very common for domestic violence and emotional abuse to get worse when you're pregnant. If this happens to you, it's crucial that you speak to someone to make sure you and your baby stay safe. Talk to your provider about how to change your situation.
Women who have a history of physical or sexual abuse are also more likely to experience depression during pregnancy. If you've struggled with abuse in the past, it's important to seek help from a mental healthcare professional.
If pregnancy depression goes untreated, it can make it harder for you to take care of yourself. You may be less likely to eat healthy or sleep, and you may be more likely to smoke or use alcohol or other substances. This, in turn, can impact not only your own health and wellbeing but your baby's. Untreated depression during pregnancy has been linked to a higher likelihood of a baby being born early or having a low birth weight and with health complications. Research also suggests that babies born to women with depression are more likely to be irritable and may cry more than babies born to moms who aren't depressed.
Later in life, children may be at greater risk of emotional, developmental, and behavioral problems. Depression is one of the most common pregnancy complications, so talk to your practitioner. At your prenatal visits, it's likely your provider will ask you about your mood and how you're feeling. If she doesn't, be sure to bring it up.
Talking about mental health issues can be hard, and it's easy to think you're the only one who feels this way. A fetal arrhythmia is an irregular heart rate — too fast, too slow, or otherwise outside the norm. It's often benign. Postpartum diarrhea after a C-section is normal. Sharing our experiences of pregnancy and infant loss can help us heal. Using breast milk for eczema is a popular home remedy. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Share on Pinterest. Shame prevented me from getting help. It was time to get help. Bottom line. Parenthood Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications. Written by Caroline Shannon-Karasik on June 26, The Best Pregnancy Blogs of Placenta Delivery: What to Expect.
Read this next. Perinatal Depression. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Your feelings and your behaviour will affect your ability to care for your children. Attachment is a deep emotional bond that a baby forms with the person who provides most of his care. A mother responds to her crying infant, offering whatever she feels her baby needs—feeding, a diaper change, cuddling. It makes a baby feel safe and secure, and helps him learn to trust others. Toddlers and preschoolers whose mothers are depressed may:.
Teens whose mothers suffer from depression are at high risk for a number of problems such as major depression, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, substance abuse, ADHD, and learning difficulties. With treatment, most people recover from depression. Treatment can include one or more of the following:. You may think you should stop taking medication for depression when you are pregnant.
Remember that, if left untreated, depression can have serious effects for both you and your baby. If you are taking antidepressants and are thinking about getting pregnant or are already pregnant , talk to your doctor first, before stopping any medication. You can also consult the following trusted resources: www. Some newborn babies may have symptoms such as irritability, fast breathing, tremors and poor feeding if their mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy.
These symptoms are usually mild and pass quickly, usually within 2 weeks. These babies typically respond well to a quiet environment, swaddling, skin-to-skin contact, and frequent small feeds. Serious problems such as heart defects or more severe breathing issues are very rare. After your baby is born, they will be watched closely to make sure they are healthy. Your doctors and nurses will make sure that you are both well before letting you go home. You may need to stay an extra day or two in the hospital so that they can be sure.
Breastfeeding provides many health benefits for babies. It also helps mothers and babies bond. If you are taking antidepressants, small amounts will come out through your breast milk. But studies have shown that children exposed to these drugs through breast milk have not had problems.
Even if you are taking antidepressants, you can breastfeed your baby for as long as you wish. Stopping an antidepressant during breastfeeding may cause the depression to return.
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