Pregnancy depression
Having a baby? You must be so happy!” Or maybe not. Postpartum depression gets most of the publicity. But a woman’s at least as likely to be depressed during pregnancy as she is to suffer postpartum depression. Contrary to popular opinion, pregnancy offers no shield against depression.


Why the link between pregnancy and depression? First, many women suffer from depression before becoming pregnant. Second, according to a recent government report, about one woman in seven experiences a new episode of depression during pregnancy. Possible triggers could be the psychological or hormonal stress of this major life change or the mood-lowering effect of lessened activity.

So, if you’re pregnant and depressed, the good news is that you have plenty of company. The bad news is that pinpointing depression during pregnancy can be tough because pregnancy triggers some of the same symptoms, notably fatigue and mood swings.  

Feeling Down?
Pregnant or not, you may be depressed if a feeling of sadness or hopelessness has persisted for at least two weeks, along with one or more of these symptoms:

  • Frequent crying
  • A lack of energy
  • Changes in your normal appetite
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • A loss of interest in usual activities
  • Withdrawal from loved ones
  • Headaches, rapid heartbeat, or breathing too fast

“Some women are likelier than others to suffer from depression during pregnancy,” says Peter Chandler, M.D. These include women with:
  • A family or personal history of depression
  • Little support from family and friends
  • Problems during a previous pregnancy
  • Medical complications during this pregnancy
  • Marriage or money problems  


Help for Depression
If you’re being treated for depression and are considering becoming pregnant, psychotherapy with a mental-health professional, such as a psychologist or social worker, can help pick you up.   So can antidepressants, but there are risks. A recent article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggested that taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors increased a woman’s chance of having a low birth-weight or premature baby. But stopping the drugs also can pose a threat, according to a different study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In this study, discontinuing antidepressant use boosted the risk for a depression relapse during pregnancy. So, be sure to discuss with your doctor the pros and cons of such treatment. His or her recommendation will probably depend on the severity and length of your depression.

Reprinted from Southwest Health, January 2007. Copyright PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

 

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Encouragement + An Assist = Success

Nine days past her due date, Sara Howe was awakened at 3:00AM when her water broke. Thrilled that the long wait was finally over, Sara and her husband David packed up and headed to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. By 5:00AM they were comfortably settled into one of PeaceHealth Southwest’s Labor Delivery Recovery and Postpartum rooms, ready for action. But four hours later, Sara contractions had still not progressed so her midwife started her on Pitocin. Soon the contractions kicked in and Sara was well on her way.

At around eight o’clock the next morning, it was time for Sara to start pushing. So she pushed. And she pushed, and she pushed, and she pushed. "The first few hours of pushing went by without me realizing the time," remarked Sara. "But around the fourth hour I started to wonder if I was still making progress. That is when the encouragement of my midwife, husband and the PeaceHealth Southwest nursing staff kept me going. It was like I had my own cheering section."

Unfortunately, even with all the support and encouragement, Sara’s labor was not progressing because her baby’s head was tilted in the birth canal. Neither Sara or her midwife wanted her to have a Cesarean section after all that work, so her midwife suggested an assisted delivery. Read more >

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