Every person can experience such a feeling as sadness. Sadness is a natural reaction to difficult times and events in life and usually goes away on its own over time.
Clinical depression
is a mood disorder that affects a person's quality of life. Relationships, work, sleep and appetite are most affected by depression. This condition requires qualified treatment.
Treatment of depression during and after pregnancy
Treating depression before, during and after pregnancy is critical to the health of mother and baby. There are several treatment options for depression. Most often, a combined treatment plan includes:
Drug treatment;
Psychotherapy;
Support group;
Electroconvulsive therapy.
Alternative treatments such as acupuncture are another option. A proper and healthy diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep are important.
A common treatment option is treatment with antidepressants such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as citalopram, fluoxetine and sertraline, and SSRIs (selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) such as duloxetine and venlafaxine.
Doctors prescribing treatment must carefully weigh the benefits and harms of antidepressants. If a woman is taking antidepressants, she should not stop taking them without consulting a doctor.
Some drugs can cause birth defects in a baby. Symptoms such as irritability and fearfulness may occur in a newborn if the mother took antidepressants during pregnancy.
Causes of pathology
According to nature's intention, pregnancy should proceed in an atmosphere of calm and harmony. But attempts to follow the frantic rhythm of modern life and strict social standards weaken the nervous system and give rise to negative thoughts.
The main causes of antenatal depression in pregnant women are :
- stress due to unplanned conception;
- difficult social and living conditions: lack of comfortable housing, tense atmosphere at home, pressure or indifference from the husband;
- complications: pathological fetal development, severe toxicosis;
- hereditary predisposition to depression;
- numerous attempts to conceive a child or cases of involuntary termination of gestation;
- dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
- long-term use of sedatives or psychotropic drugs;
- shortage of material resources: loss of job, loans;
- suffered traumatic brain injuries.
Depression after pregnancy
Depression after pregnancy, or postpartum depression, is a mood disorder. A woman experiences feelings of sadness, anxiety and fatigue after giving birth. Postpartum depression occurs in 12% of women. It can begin at any time after birth, but is most common one week to one month after birth.
Causes of postpartum depression include physical and emotional factors, including sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and hormonal changes. The symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to perinatal depression and require medical treatment.
Late antenatal depression
The next three months are the time when a pregnant woman normally no longer denies her condition. In other words, her psyche has accepted the fact that there will be a child, but what she still cannot fully agree with is that with the birth of the baby, the usual way of life will come to an end. In psychology, the name of this period is quite complex. I'll voice it and then decipher it. So, this stage is called the period of “searching for a replacement for the lost object.” The lost object in this case is a familiar life, a life with a certain rhythm of work, leisure, with established relationships in the family and with friends. Gradually realizing that with the birth of a child she will have to give up a lot, the woman begins to look for a replacement for what she has lost. The classic reasoning of a pregnant woman at this stage is as follows: “Yes, I will have to leave my job, which means my career growth will stop. What a horror! But my colleagues will remain where they are, and I will be hopelessly behind them! No problem, now is the time to take a Chinese course! Relations with China are very promising, the baby will grow up, I will go to work in a new direction with a good knowledge of the language!” Thus, the second trimester becomes the most active. And indeed, the woman usually feels well, the nausea has already passed, and the stomach is not yet bothering her. And wherever expectant mothers go during this period! As they explain: “So as not to waste time.” It happens, and not rarely, that it even comes to driving courses. "Why not? The baby will be born, I will need mobility, but I still don’t have a license!”
However, this period is also ending. It is followed by the last, coinciding with the third trimester of pregnancy, which, unlike the previous one, in psychology is simply called the period of depression. That is, that same prenatal depression sets in. In the psyche there is a full awareness of what happened, and the process of saying goodbye to the past begins: “What Chinese?!” What career?! Perhaps I will never be able to work as before, but will forever be tied to pots and pans!” In the three months remaining before giving birth, at times (of course, not 24 hours a day), a woman is faced with feelings of loneliness, hopelessness and despondency. Sometimes this results in streams of tears, sometimes in irritation, resentment and anger. You can be offended and angry with your husband, whose life does not change so dramatically, and he, of course, “doesn’t understand anything and doesn’t support much.” On the mother-in-law, who always interferes with her advice and stupid purchases for the baby. For friends who are not at all interested in your belly or your child, they only care about rags, men and work. You never know what can upset a pregnant woman. All this is normal, there is no need to be afraid of your own experiences. Respect your condition and, most importantly, do not try to avoid it.
This is where we, in fact, come to the main practical conclusion. Pregnancy is not all about the joy of waiting nine months. This is the time when not very pleasant feelings and emotions are appropriate, especially in the last three months. There is no need to feel guilty, let alone shame, if in the first trimester you sometimes forgot about the baby, and sometimes even thought that it would be good if pregnancy occurred not now, but at another time.
And one more very important point. Take maternity leave on time. The fact is that the working rhythm helps a woman’s psyche stay in the first or second stage and thus not experience depression. By remaining in a familiar work environment, a woman protects herself from an acute confrontation with the awareness of drastic changes. But you can’t run away from the truth, the time will come, the baby will be born, and she will still have to understand that her old life is over forever, only this process will no longer be called pre-, but postpartum depression, and it will be harder and longer.
Although giving advice is often useless, and from the point of view of the science of psychology, it is simply unacceptable (a psychologist should help each person find their own path, draw their own individual conclusions from the current situation), I will still take the liberty of giving a few recommendations to pregnant women or already pregnant women. women who have given birth and are experiencing depression.
Recommendations for preventing depression during and after pregnancy
There is no effective way to prevent depression, but women should be aware of the signs and symptoms. It is important for a woman to get as much information as possible about raising children, pregnancy, childbirth, and also talk openly with her doctor about the symptoms of depression.
After giving birth, it is advisable for a woman to communicate more with other young mothers. Every day you need to do something pleasant, for example, take a bath, read a book or listen to music. Ask family members and friends for help. Rest when the child sleeps.
It is important to remember that depression is a real illness that requires medical attention.
Main symptoms
Mood swings during pregnancy can affect any woman. This is due to the influence of the neuroendocrine system on the psyche. But if the feeling of anxiety persists, consultation with a psychologist is necessary.
Signs of pathology are:
- refusal to eat or uncontrolled appetite;
- irritability, drowsiness and feeling of exhaustion;
- indifference to the surrounding world;
- avoidance of social contacts, isolation;
- fear of leaving the apartment;
- guilt;
- decreased ability to concentrate;
- inability to make decisions;
- sleep disturbance;
- loss of self-esteem;
- thoughts about suicide.
Depression often occurs with an unplanned second pregnancy. A woman may remember the difficult course of her previous childbirth or budget limitations. Usually the depression goes away on its own after a few days.
First trimester
During pregnancy, a woman’s consciousness changes, preparing for the upcoming birth and a new way of life. Psychologists call depression during pregnancy in the first trimester a “period of denial.”
Even after learning about conception, a woman unconsciously continues to plan her life without taking the baby into account. She may dream of going on a world tour in six months, of skydiving next weekend. This phenomenon is especially pronounced if there are no signs of gestation such as toxicosis and odor intolerance.
The need to limit oneself in usual pleasures, for example, horse riding or visiting a sauna, has an impact on the psycho-emotional background of the expectant mother. The situation can be aggravated by conflicts with the husband and other relatives.
After conception, a woman’s character often changes beyond recognition. Normally, insomnia, crying, hysterics, which disappear after accepting their situation. But if depression during early pregnancy progresses and lasts more than a month, medical attention is needed.
Severe mental disorders can only be corrected by taking antidepressants, which is undesirable while expecting a baby. At the first symptoms, you can get by with a course of physiotherapeutic procedures, so it is important to contact a specialist as early as possible.
Second period
When the baby begins to move, the expectant mother may worry about his future. The woman realizes the inevitability of change.
Images of a past life with entertainment, a promising job or study can trigger conditions such as depression during the second trimester of pregnancy. The tendency to suspiciousness can be aggravated by back pain, pressure from the growing uterus and other factors that cause discomfort.
Depending on the level of self-control and environment, a woman can go in two ways: engage in self-development, for example, start learning a foreign language, attend culinary master classes, or succumb to emotions and become despondent.
Third trimester
Depression in the last months of gestation occurs even in previously balanced expectant mothers. The reason may be fear of childbirth or a feeling of helplessness. After the birth of the baby, hormonal levels stabilize and anxiety disappears.
But it must be remembered that the inability to control one’s emotions negatively affects the child: the baby is likely to develop more slowly and cry often.
How to cope?
No one wants to suddenly discover signs of a disorder, much less admit it. Prenatal depression is not only a depression of the emotional state. The course of pregnancy in conditions concomitant with the disease can also negatively affect the health of the baby, for example, lead to premature birth or underweight in the newborn. Having recognized at least one of the possible signs, you should not withdraw into yourself.
The first step is to talk about your condition with your loved ones. This will help eliminate the illusion of loneliness and uselessness that pregnant women often experience, as well as receive the necessary support and get rid of far-fetched fears.
Mild antenatal depression is easy to treat; you don’t even need to seek the help of a specialist; all you need to do is follow a few basic recommendations:
- Giving up bad habits to avoid complications and the risk of developing pathological diseases in the baby. Of course, giving up habits can be difficult. But on the other hand, there is hardly a better reason to do this.
- Competent diet planning. This is a necessary and, perhaps, the most important point. Avoiding unhealthy foods and choosing proper nutrition is beneficial for both the baby and the expectant mother. In addition, this at least eliminates one of the problems - sudden weight gain, which often causes depressive thoughts in pregnant women.
- Spend as much free time as possible with your spouse, family and friends, without allowing yourself to become isolated.
- Diversify your leisure time. Trips to nature, walks, and shopping will help make everyday life brighter, and will also allow you to be in constant motion and gain new experiences.
- If there are no contraindications, do not forget about light physical activity. A competent consultation with a doctor will help you decide on the choice of load.
But what to do if depression gets worse every day, and recommendations don’t help? One piece of advice is to seek help from a qualified specialist. Treatment of depression by a psychotherapist can be carried out with medication or using various psychotherapeutic methods.
