Pregnant Women ‘Find Depression Difficult’
By admin • Feb 26th, 2010While having a baby can be the greatest experience and achievement in a women’s life, the period of pregnancy can bring with it its woes, such as weight gain, swollen ankles, sickness, cravings and fatigue.
However, it is depression which many pregnant ladies have the most difficulty with dealing with, one exert has suggested.
According to the Positively Pregnant, depression while carrying a child is a condition thought to effect one in ten pregnant females, with symptoms of antenatal depression and anxiety including being tired but unable to sleep, a loss of appetite or increase in comfort eating, crying more than is typical and Agoraphobia.
While these symptoms can vary from person to person, it may offer pregnant women who have been battling with feeling low the peace of mind that they are certainly not alone, which may encourage them to seek help.
Sarah Montagu, admin secretary at the Association of Radical Midwives, said: "Because of the societal image of pregnancy as a time of joy and anticipation it can be difficult for women to cope with feeling depressed.
"They feel even more isolated than they would if they were depressed and not pregnant."
She added these feelings can then lead to guilt, which serves to further exacerbate the depression.
However, while pregnant women battling depression may be put off from taking prescribed medication, they could choose to experiment with alternative therapies.
A recent study published in the journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology revealed two-thirds of pregnant women who had acupuncture saw an improvement in their symptoms.
Did you feel low during pregnancy?