Pregnancy and Depression

Pregnancy and depression can be a very troublesome mix. Pregnancy on its own brings about a lot of varied emotions, likely more so than any other 9-month period that a woman will ever again experience. 

Anticipation, joy, trepidation, and excitement are only a few of these emotions, but perhaps one of the more unexpected feelings is that of depression.  Depression during pregnancy is fairly common, but it is usually mild.

If you are a pregnant woman trying to deal with depression, it is very important to know that you are not alone!  Many cases of depression are actually the down side of mood swings that naturally occur because of the influx of hormones that affect feelings and thoughts.  A large number of women, however, experience mild-to-moderate depression that has no relation to mood swings.

• *  Socioeconomic conditions. Financial stress can create depression by worrying about your ability to afford feeding and caring for your baby and yourself.
• *  Lack of support from the baby’s father. For many different reasons, some men do distance themselves when a woman becomes pregnant.  This can create overwhelming feelings of being alone, which easily induces depression during pregnancy.
• *  Sense of self becoming lost. This occurs most often in first-time mothers-to-be.   Some women may worry that once their baby is born they will become immersed in being a mom, and their individual identity will become lost.
• *  Health concerns. Health concerns for either yourself or your baby might cause anxiety-based depression during pregnancy.
• *  Fatigue. Pregnancy does take its toll on women both physically and emotionally.  Depression has a habit of hitting when a person is exhausted.