Depression can affect just as many pregnant women as it does postpartum women, if not more. Fourteen to twenty-three percent of pregnant women suffer from depression while five to twenty-five percent of women will have postpartum depression. Typically your obstetrician and your pediatrician will give you a short questionnaire on multiple occasions after your baby is born that will screen for signs of postpartum depression. The questionnaire might contain statements like “I cry more than usual” and ask you to rate that statement on a scale of one to five. Postpartum depression is not something you should try to hide on this questionnaire or be ashamed of. Your doctors simply want to make sure you feel the best and you are able to enjoy your newborn.
Depression during pregnancy can raise the risk of preterm birth and other complications. After the birth, it can affect how the mother interacts with her newborn, which can impact the baby’s development. Many factors can play into whether a woman develops depression. The sudden increase in hormones can set off a chemical imbalance. The mother may already have a history of depression in herself or in her family. Relationship difficulties, previous pregnancy loss, fertility treatments, pregnancy complications, stress, or an unplanned pregnancy can also make a pregnant woman more susceptible to depression.
If a women does develop depression during or after pregnancy, that doesn’t necessarily mean she will automatically be put on medication. On the contrary, she will be able to work with her doctor to find a natural solution if at all possible. Changing her diet, activity level and sleeping patterns might be all that is needed to make her feel better. Eating healthy foods, exercising and getting plenty of sleep, work wonders for any person. Her doctor will continue to monitor her for signs of depression to be sure the treatment is working, and if the depression becomes severe, as a last resort, he or she might prescribe medication.