Although a lot is written about the so-called pink cloud that women float on when they are pregnant, there is a considerable number of women who do not experience pregnancy as fun or pleasant at all. It is normal for a pregnant woman to be emotionally unstable and sometimes depressed. However, when this is of a long-term nature or takes extreme forms, we speak of prenatal depression or prepartum depression. Little has been written about prenatal depression. Yet about 7 to 20 percent of pregnant women experience this phenomenon. The duration varies: prenatal depression can last several weeks, but can also last for months. Even when women do not (yet) know that they are pregnant, this form of depression can already manifest itself.
The symptoms of prenatal depression often resemble pregnancy disorders. This often results in an incorrect diagnosis. However, pregnancy ailments are very temporary in nature: prenatal depression can sometimes last the entire pregnancy and does not simply go away on its own.
Causes of prenatal depression
Prenatal depression can be of a physical or psychosocial nature, or a combination of both factors. Pregnancy makes a lot of difference to a woman: a lot changes physically and, under the influence of hormones, women can be emotionally unstable, especially during the first period. In addition, the prospect of having a child is of course also extremely exciting, which can cause the expectant mother to become insecure and experience stress. Risk factors include an unplanned pregnancy, difficulty conceiving, past abuse and social and financial situation. In addition, the mother’s personality is a particularly determining factor: how does she deal with the drastic news?
Symptoms of prenatal depression
Prenatal depression has many similarities with normal depression. Some important symptoms are:
- Feeling emotionally flat
- Sleep problems
- Fear and panic, also about the pregnancy
- Regret your pregnancy
- Depressed and gloomy feelings
- Extreme fatigue
- Feeling worthless
- Concentration problems
- Thoughts of suicide
If you are pregnant and recognize (some of) these symptoms, you may have prenatal depression. However, emotional instability is very normal, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. So don’t panic if you ever feel down or insecure during your pregnancy. Only if you have these complaints continuously for more than two weeks is it advisable to seek help.
Consequences of prenatal depression
Stress and depression in an expectant mother can hinder the healthy development of the child. Prenatal depression is therefore linked to a higher risk of premature births, lower birth weight and problems in the child’s mental development.
In addition, the presence of prenatal depression is a risk factor for the development of postnatal depression. Women with prenatal depression often have difficulty bonding with their unborn child during their pregnancy: this can also affect the bond between mother and child after birth.
Treatment of prenatal depression
For many pregnant women who suffer from prenatal depression, it can help a lot to take a rest and talk about her feelings. Support from a possible partner can help a lot. Taking good care of yourself, eating sufficient and healthy food and regular exercise can also help combat prenatal depression.
If a woman cannot resolve the problem herself, professional help may be necessary. Especially because there are possible health risks for the unborn child linked to prenatal depression, it is important that help or guidance is sought. The first contact person is your GP: he or she can assess the situation and refer you to emergency services if necessary.
For women with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, psychotherapy and discussion groups are preferably used. If these forms of therapy are not sufficient and a woman has moderate to severe prenatal depression, medication may be required. However, for many medications there is little information about the effect they can have on pregnancy and the unborn child. It is therefore very important in these situations that the pros and cons of using medication are carefully weighed against each other.
For some pregnant women, the situation is so unbearable that a normal life is no longer possible. For these women, the pregnancy can be terminated.
