All About Dealing With Depression During Pregnancy

Embracing motherhood is a thrilling experience. Every step beholds surprises for new mothers. However, it is extremely challenging too. Since women experience innumerable hormonal activities, sometimes it becomes difficult to comprehend, and that can lead to depression during pregnancy.

It is recommended to check with a professional. Since pregnancy is a very delicate condition, taking any wrong steps can cause extreme severity.

How Common Is Depression During Pregnancy?

Prenatal depression happens during the term of pregnancy or in the first year after having a baby. As discussed already, women are likely to experience depression during pregnancy, as they go through rapid mood swings and emotional roller coasters. At least one out of seven pregnant women goes through depression, which makes it around 15% of them.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Depression During Pregnancy?

Depression is not just feeling sad or blue once in a while. It is more than that. Mentioned below are some of the symptoms of pregnancy depression.

If any of them continues for more than two weeks, you must consult a doctor.

Feeling hopeless, sad and overwhelmed
Being moody and restless
Crying at every instance
Cursing you are at fault
Thinking you are not worthy enough
Getting suicidal thoughts
Suddenly increasing or decreasing your quantity of eating
Not able to concentrate and make firm decisions
Forgetting common things more often
Either not sleeping at all or feeling drowsy all the time
Feeling withdrawn from family and friends
Easily losing interest in things you like
Being tired all the time
Suffering from headaches, stomach aches and other kinds of pain

What Are the Causes of Depression During Pregnancy?

Chances of depression in pregnant women are fairly common because of hormonal changes. Since it is a life-changing moment, women can sometimes get submerged in emotions and break down.

A link between depression and pregnancy is the rapid mood shifts and swings. While women might feel positive and energetic at times, low feelings are also quite common. It is therefore important to have friends and family during this time, and take their support to avoid depressive thoughts.

Some common causes of depression are listed below.

If someone in your family has chronic depression, the chances of you carrying that gene are quite possible.
Women who have a history of depression or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are likely to develop depression during pregnancy.
Age can also be a common factor. Younger women who go through pregnancy are more likely to experience depression than older ones.
Experiencing conflicts and differences in the relationships with close ones, like family members and partners, can end up causing depression during pregnancy.
Being all alone with limited social support can cause depression.
A common reason behind depression during pregnancy is lack of care and affection from the surroundings. Depression is often a result of neglect and stress, and pregnancy brings about mood shifts, which further contribute to this situation.

What Are the Risk Factors for Depression During Pregnancy?

One of the experts, Sheila Marcus, stated depression during this phase gets triggered by a number of physiologic or stress instigators.

These risk factors can be extremely harmful if not treated at the right time. This can result in various health conditions for both the mother and child.

Risk factors that can worsen the situation are:

Past experience of severe depression
Previous miscarriage
Medical history includes panic attacks
Anxiety due to domestic problems
Addiction to alcohol or use of illegal drugs
Leading a stressful life

How Does Depression Affect Baby During Pregnancy?

Whatever a mother goes through, the unborn child also faces its consequences. Hence, suffering from chronic depression due to pregnancy can negatively impact your baby in many ways.

Here are some of the common conditions;

Premature delivery
Significantly low birthweight
Low APGAR score, which indicates a newborn's health
Respiratory problems while adjusting to the environment outside the womb

If you have read the entire piece, you have gained some idea of how to deal with prenatal depression. The key to recovering from this condition is constant communication. You must never succumb to any feeling by yourself and keep stressing yourself about that.

Whenever some unbearable emotion attacks you, ensure to either write it down or share it with your close ones. Depression during pregnancy can be restricted if you are cautious about the symptoms, identify them at an early stage and take the necessary help.

Treatment Options for Depression During Pregnancy

Treating depression and anxiety with the right medicines is the most effective way. If a doctor feels your condition needs certain drugs, they will prescribe a mild antidepressant to aid the underlying causes. However, some may feel sceptical regarding medicinal assistance as there can be some side effects.

Ignoring symptoms of depression is not a wise decision, as it can impact the health of both mother and the child. Treating depression during pregnancy not only includes drugs and medicinal aids, but doctors also suggest self-care and therapy to help you overcome the situation.

Other ways to deal with depression are:

1. Talk to Someone

Talking to someone when you are feeling down is a great start for dealing with depression. You must understand that you are not alone in this journey. People who care for you are always there to support you. So, if you ever feel not worthy or guilty, share your thoughts with someone you trust.

2. Music Therapy

Music is known as an excellent medium to calm your nerves. However, not many are aware of its benefits, as it is not that popular in India. Music therapy cannot just help change your mood and recover from depression but also help your child enhance his senses.

3. Regular Exercising

A common myth is that exercising and working during pregnancy can harm your child. However, the opposite is true. Doctors prescribe low-impact physical movements so that the muscles do not get hard and develop strain.

4. Self-love and Care

Another effective method doctors suggest for those who undergo depression during pregnancy is self-care. It includes proper diet, REM sleep, developing new habits, taking care of yourself, and doing what makes you happy.

5. Light Therapy

Patients are exposed to artificial sunlight at specific times of the day; this helps them get relief from depression symptoms.

6. Psychotherapy

This is a process where a skilled therapist explains how one can try new approaches to manage thoughts and emotions. Learning these skills has shown remarkable results in curing depression.

7. Proper Diet

Including natural mood-booster food in your regular diet can also help fight depression. Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish and walnuts are some examples.

8. Involving in Activities

Sitting idle causes overthinking, which leads to anxiety and depression. So, channelling your thoughts in the right direction is highly recommended. The best way to do this is by staying involved in activities of your choice like reading, gardening, organising the nursery etc.

9. Acupuncture

This old Chinese practice is done by placing tiny needles into different areas of your body. The purpose of doing this therapy is to influence mood.

10. Practice Mind Diverting

It is understandable that women going through pregnancy constantly worry about things that may go wrong. There is a trick you can use to get rid of this habit. You can schedule a time for these thoughts so that they do not haunt you all day.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ Which are the most popular antidepressants suggested to pregnant women?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are the most common antidepressants prescribed to women during pregnancy. Other drugs include serotonin, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), bupropion (Forfivo XL, Wellbutrin SR), and tricyclic antidepressants.

✓ Are there any exercises that can help relieve the symptoms of prenatal depression?

There are many exercises that help relieve prenatal depression, like cat/cow pose, balancing table pose, downward dog pose, bound angle pose, goddess pose and many more. Other than these low-impact yoga poses, meditation can help too.