Mental Wellbeing
Your mental wellbeing is vital to how much you enjoy your experience of pregnancy. Studies too have shown that unborn babies are receptive to their mother’s emotions, so by staying positive, fit and healthy, you’ll be adding to your baby’s own mental wellbeing.
Prenatal depression
If you are feeling unhappy in pregnancy, the first thing to recognize is that you’re not alone and nor are you a bad person for feeling like that.
Depression during pregnancy is common – in fact some experts reckon it’s more common than postpartum depression.
What are the causes?
There are myriad reasons why you might experience feelings of depression during pregnancy, and it’s important that you tell your OB-GYN or nurse-midwife if you’re finding it hard to cope. ??Big life changes such as moving house, bereavement, relationship break-up; along with anxiety about miscarrying, physical illness and a past history of depression, can send stress levels soaring. Add pregnancy hormones to the mix and it can all combine to trigger a heightened emotional mood.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms commonly include apathy or feeling constantly tired and unable to enjoy anything; sleeping too much; lack of interest in anything; overwhelming feelings of sadness or despair; anxiety; compulsions (like constantly cleaning or washing your hands repeatedly); being unable to concentrate; feeling irritable; and excessive crying. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, tell your OB-GYN or nurse-midwife.
Why not chat to other moms about this or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum? Alternately, if you want to meet other moms in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section to find out what is happening in your area, or join or start one of our groups. If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other moms or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.