Prenatal depression: causes, symptoms and treatment

Prenatal depression – one of the reasons for the poor health of the pregnant woman. And it would seem, what could spoil such a magic for any woman's time? I'm sure every future mum will find excuses not becoming to understand the real reasons of this unpleasant phenomenon. And yet where does depression in pregnancy and how it manifests itself?

General description of the state

There is a misconception that depression in pregnant women occurring directly before the birth. But it's not. She may accompany the woman throughout pregnancy, with each phase carrying a child has its own characteristics.

Some signs of depression are only associated with hormonal changes in a woman's body, and therefore they are considered as a temporary and passing phenomenon, but others may have a more complex nature. Therefore, depression in pregnancy is treated differently depending on the period of carrying a child.

First trimester

This pregnancy psychologists refer to as “a period of denial”. It is especially peculiar to women that have no unpleasant symptom – toxicity. The period of denial is characterized by the unwillingness of women to take into account its situation and change your daily way of life.

Emotional women in the first trimester of pregnancy

Mood Swings, nervousness and aggression – it is quite normal for this stage. Many men notice that their pregnant wife is cold towards him. Not taking into account the fact that a woman's body in this period undergoes tremendous stress. This can cause disagreements in the family, which, in turn, can cause depression in women.

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Pay close attention to the emotional state of a pregnant woman is when the common symptoms of depression are of a protracted nature. If a man smooth all rough moments in the relationship with his wife and puts her in a positive way, the first trimester of pregnancy will pass without incident.

Second trimester

At this stage of pregnancy is already actively starting to grow a belly, so every day the woman began to realize his position. And, as a rule, this awareness provokes thoughts about how she will have to change their way of life from what she would have to give up and what will she have to sacrifice for the sake of the child.

A start in this period of pregnancy to look for new Hobbies and change your lifestyle. Some begin to knit, others paint, still others are written for the courses of culinary skill. In this trimester the risk to fall into depression most low.

However, those women who are experiencing acute physical changes in the body (the growing belly, back pain, joints etc.) can suffer certain mental disorders. The physical and psychological state of the person are very closely linked. So those women who feel some discomfort in connection with his new position, you should pay more attention to sleep and rest.

Third trimester: prenatal depression

Third trimester – the most dangerous period in terms of emotional and psychological disorders. Women in their last months of pregnancy are already fully aware of their situation and imagine the colors in your upcoming lifestyle. And, as a rule, he doesn't seem too bright.

Depression before giving birth may occur because of an internal fear of women becoming a housewife. Many invest in this concept of eternal cooking, washing diapers, mountains of dirty dishes and all the other delights of home care.

This condition is so common that it is already "recorded" in the prenatal symptoms. At the end of the period the woman is already tired, both physically and emotionally. She has a hard time with everyday things, so most of the time she spends lying down or sitting on the couch. Such fatigue even more affects the behavior of women, so often it seeks to retire and to consider the correctness of its decision to become a mother. Without serious support from his family, this condition can be delayed, which is very dangerous. After all, in front of her waiting for the birth of the child, and prenatal depression can prevent a woman to tune in to the challenges ahead. Let us dwell on the characteristics of this condition.

Causes

The First thing is to understand – where does prenatal depression in pregnant women. The causes can be very diverse. The fact is that during pregnancy the hormonal background of women is changing dramatically, so it is more sensitive to daily life's difficulties than before. But among the most common causes, which develops prenatal depression are the following:

• Conflicts in the family. Close relatives need to clearly understand that a pregnant woman is very sensitive to all conflicts, especially if they are somehow connected with her position.Protracted quarrel can cause the development of prenatal depression.
• Financial difficulties. Before an important event in the life of all women, there is a so-called nesting effect. If the expectant mother because of their financial capabilities can not buy all necessary, in her opinion, things for the baby, she falls into a depressive state.
• Unhealthy lifestyle. It is noticed that women who lead an active lifestyle, eat regular wholesome and comply with the regime of sleep and rest, less susceptible to such condition as prenatal depression.
• Bad habits. Nicotine, drug and alcohol abuse – a direct path to the emergence of the disease condition before birth.
• Fear of an upcoming status. Even if the appearance of the child in the family is a planned event, it does not guarantee that a woman will begin to doubt the correctness of his decision. Particularly acute these doubts begin to torment her in the last days before birth. Therefore, in such a situation man needs to understand what his pregnant wife needs special attention.
• A Difficult pregnancy. When the pregnancy is adversely and women occasionally have to go to the hospital under the supervision of doctors, she feels a lot of negative emotions, such as fear, despair, weakness and so on. In the end, all these negative emotions can develop into antenatal depression.

Knowing the cause, it is much easier to deal with it. As a rule, the cases in which it is impossible to do without the help of a qualified professional, are extremely rare.

Symptoms

As with any other disease, prenatal depression has its own symptoms. A frivolous attitude to the very important signs and write them on a bad day, but it is fundamentally wrong. With advanced form of a psychological disorder is much more difficult to fight than in its first manifestations.

Common symptoms of prenatal depression include:

• Increased irritability;
• Tearfulness;
• Long alarm condition;
• Absent-mindedness;
• Loss of concentration;
• The constant feeling of hunger or, conversely, lack of appetite;
• Feeling of weakness, fatigue, detachment;
• Drowsiness;
• Feelings of guilt, fear, despair;
• Lack of sleep;
• Irrational fear of childbirth;
• Lack of confidence in themselves and in their abilities.

Many of these symptoms are considered to be absolutely normal during pregnancy. For example, the constant feeling of hunger is experiencing a huge number of pregnant women not suffering from this disorder. It is worth considering that one symptom may not be cause for concern, but the combination of several symptoms may be cause for referral to a specialist.

How to cope with prenatal depression?

If the symptoms of the disease state not as pronounced and are temporary, you can try to handle it by yourself. Here are some ways which will help to banish negative spirit:

1. Get Rid of bad thoughts by using your favorite things. It can be cooking, drawing, reading – anything, if only it brought her a positive emotion.
2. To Make a clear daily routine and strictly adhere to it. If you follow a clear routine of the day, the pregnant woman will not have time to be distracted by his emotions.
3. Exercises for pregnant women are not only able to prepare the future mother for the upcoming birth, but also raise her mood.
4. The Main enemy of women with symptoms of prenatal depression– loneliness. So she needs to be by any means to avoid it. You should spend more time with friends, family, colleagues, and not still to wait for the husband within the four walls.

Many pregnant women for some reason are afraid to share their experiences with native people. But it is fundamentally wrong. If a woman is overwhelmed with negative emotions, she must seek help and support from people close to her.

When to refer to specialist?

When the prenatal health of women is a concern not only herself, but others should think about skilled help. Relatives of a pregnant woman should alert the following symptoms:

• Panic fear of motherhood;
• Apathy about everything;
• Forcing guilt and despair;
• Indifference to intimate life with my husband;
• Sudden decrease or increase of body weight;
• Talking about death or suicide.

The Treatment of prenatal depression do family psychologists. Depending on the complexity of the psychological disorder, there are different ways of therapy, including pharmacological. To date, developed many drugs that are safe for both the mother and the child. But a speedy recovery can only be achieved with the help of a reliable and strong support from his family.