Depression during pregnancy: what you need to know
Friday, October 6th, 2017Depression is more than just feeling sad. It’s a medical condition that affects your thoughts, feelings, and even causes changes to your body. You may have depression if you have any of these signs that last for more than 2 weeks:
Changes in your feelings
- Feeling sad, hopeless or overwhelmed
- Feeling restless or moody
- Crying a lot
- Feeling worthless or guilty
Changes in your everyday life
- Eating more or less than you usually do
- Having trouble remembering things, concentrating or making decisions
- Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Losing interest in things you usually like to do
Changes in your body
- Having no energy and feeling tired all the time
- Having headaches, stomach problems or other aches and pains that don’t go away
If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your health care provider.
Depression during pregnancy
If you’ve had depression before, you’re more likely than other women to experience depression during pregnancy. Being pregnant can make depression worse or make it come back if you’ve been treated in the past and were feeling better.
If you have depression during pregnancy and don’t get treatment, you may not feel well enough to make sure you are eating healthy foods and you may not gain the right amount of weight. You may miss prenatal care appointments or not follow medical instructions. Or you may smoke, drink alcohol, use street drugs or misuse prescription drugs. All of these things can affect your baby before he’s born.
Depression that is not treated during pregnancy can increase the risk of:
- Premature birth
- A low-birthweight baby (a baby weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces)
- A baby who is more irritable, less active, less attentive and has fewer facial expressions than babies born to moms who don’t have depression during pregnancy.
- Postpartum depression.
Treatment for depression during pregnancy
It’s best if you work with a team of providers to treat your depression during pregnancy. These providers can work together to make sure you and your baby get the best care. They may include your prenatal care provider and a professional who treats your depression (such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or counselor).
There are several treatment options available for depression during pregnancy including talk therapy, support groups and medicine, such as antidepressants. Make sure you talk to your health care provider about the best choice for you.
If you think you have depression during pregnancy, talk to your health care provider. You may need treatment to help you feel better.