What to Know About Depression During and After Pregnancy

Depression is one of the most common side effects of pregnancy. A maximum number of expectant mothers, as well as new mothers, experience depression. It is scientifically proven that women experience depression more than men in their lifetime. Pregnancy instigates a lot of hormonal imbalance in the body, which causes various impacts on different aspects of the body. The first and third trimesters are significant time frames for an expectant mother. At the same time, two to three months of postpartum are highly crucial for a new mother. A lot of care should be given to the moms at both times, and emotional support is essential. 

Many people misread the signs of depression during pregnancy as just having mood swings due to the hormones. The symptoms of depression during and after pregnancy are very similar to symptoms of depression in general human beings. This is the main reason why it is commonly misread. Certain females do not even realize that they are depressed. It is not easy being pregnant. So support your wife or your close ones when they are going through that phase.

How Depression Affects Expectant Mothers?

Depression can come in at any time during your pregnancy. It is entirely normal to go through this phase because the hormones in your body are working consistently to keep you and your baby safe. If you feel like you are going through depression, it is always advisable to talk to your husband or your close friends. If you notice that the signs and symptoms are prevailing for more than two weeks, it is clear that you have depression. 

Affect on expectant mother

The real question that arises here is if depression affects the baby as well. The answer is yes. Both mothers and the baby inside the womb can get affected due to depression or ill mental health. This is how depression may affect expectant mothers:

• When depression strikes, the expectant mothers stop taking care of themselves and fail to give their bodies the correct nutrition. They do not intake nutritious foods and may even lose appetite, which is dangerous for both mother and child. You might gain or lose weight which will be harmful to your body regardless.

• Thinking about negative things can directly affect the baby’s both physical and mental health.

• Do not, by any means, take the shelter of alcohol and drugs to escape your depression. It is terrible for your health and, without a doubt, bad for your child’s health as well.

Affect on the unborn child

Here is how when the mother is in depression can have ill effects on the unborn child:

• Your child may be born before the designated date or month, which is known as premature birth. This is not a good sign as this signifies that the child is underdeveloped and needs a lot of critical care to be efficient and healthy. 

• The baby can be born underweight, which means that the child did not receive the correct nutrition to grow. The child may have stunted growth or some disorder as well. 

• The child’s real-life progress can be too slow as compared to other kids. It can learn slowly, start walking much later, etc.

• The child may be less active, have introverted nature from childhood, and may have difficulty speaking up. An unborn child can experience trauma in the womb. The effect is visible once the child is born and starts to grow up.

How Depression Affects Mothers After Pregnancy

When a child is born, a mother almost immediately experiences a rush of emotions. Those emotions vary from being extremely happy, sad, overwhelmed, and also clueless. The mother can be under a lot of pressure because she only wants the best for her child, leading to depression. Depression in the postpartum period is known as baby blues. The mother can also miss the months in which she was pregnant. You and your family need to take good care of your mental health after giving birth. You may contact your doctor to keep your mental health in check. 

The symptoms of depression after giving birth are quite the same as prenatal depression. You may experience sleepless nights because of depression and your baby, mental breakdowns, overwhelming thoughts, episodes of you giving birth which sometimes can be turned into trauma if you associate negative thoughts with it, anxiety and mood swings, and losing appetite. 

Conclusion

Always remember that it is natural to feel depressed. Whenever you feel sad and overwhelmed, think about your baby or if you have already given birth, place the baby on your chest. You will feel a lot better. And always consider sharing your feelings with your loved ones.