Anxiety & Depression During Pregnancy
You’re pregnant…and ever since that positive test your life has become delightful perfection, right? No? If your pregnancy has left you more blah than blissful, you’re definitely not alone. And you don’t need to buy into the myth that you need to be happy just because you’re pregnant. There’s a myriad of emotions that you may be experiencing. Maybe you are happy or maybe you’re sad. You might be scared or maybe you don’t really feel anything at all. While it’s totally normal to be facing any number of strong emotional reactions, there are some that you just shouldn’t ignore. Some women will experience anxiety and/or depression during pregnancy and it’s important to talk about it with your doctor rather than just chalking it up as another pregnancy symptom and trying to muddle through. The Public Health Agency of Canada states that, “Today we know that 10% of women will experience depression during pregnancy.” As a very general guideline, a woman may be dealing with depression and/or anxiety if she experiences some of the following moods/behaviors/or feelings nearly every day for two weeks:
- Depressed mood or extreme sadness
- Crying spells for no apparent reason
- Guilt
- Feeling worthless or hopeless
- Difficulty concentrating or disorganized thoughts
- Strong feelings of guilt or inadequacy
- Changes in appetite
- Withdrawing from partner, friends or activities previously enjoyed
- Irritability
- Excessive worry that’s difficult to control
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Tension or muscle aches
- Feeling restless
The following article Coping With Anxiety and Depression During Pregnancy from parents.com does a great job of explaining these issues. Your moods might just be all over the place. You could just be pregnant, super emotional and totally fine, but if you feel like maybe it’s more, don’t be afraid to ask for help.