Perhaps you were overjoyed to find out that you were pregnant. But as the months have gone on, your emotions have become more and more complicated. At times, you might go through emotional ups and downs that you try to suppress. You don’t want to appear ungrateful, and you don’t always feel comfortable talking to other people about these complex feelings. People might dismiss your feelings, or you might worry that if you express yourself, they will question whether or not you’re really ready for parenthood.
But depression during pregnancy is surprisingly common, despite the fact that people are not always open about this. Here are a few common reasons that women might develop depression during pregnancy.
Hormonal Shifts
Your hormone levels can drastically change during pregnancy. This is not to wave away depression during pregnancy as “just hormones.” These feelings can be difficult to grapple with, and they should be taken seriously. Yet the hormonal changes during pregnancy can have a dramatic effect on your mood.
Be gentle with yourself during this time. Your body and mind are changing as you move through your pregnancy, and mood swings and emotional lows are normal.
Physical Limitations
Pregnancy does introduce physical limitations. Many women continue to be physically active and feel energetic throughout their pregnancies. But when you can no longer do certain things you used to enjoy, it’s normal to feel frustrated or even left out at times.
Even if it’s something as simple as no longer being able to have a cocktail with your friends, you can temporarily feel like an outsider. Furthermore, if you took medications before becoming pregnant, you may have had to stop taking them for the time being or adjust your dosage, which can drastically affect your moods.
Fears of the Future
Every time you turn on the news, the world can seem like such a scary place. The headlines never seem to contain anything positive, and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s common for parents-to-be to worry about what challenges their children might face in the future. Your fears of the future could be contributing to your depression. It’s important to give yourself space to feel these fears. In the meantime, consider how you could adjust your media diet if you’ve noticed that watching the news exacerbates these worries.
Worries About Your Own Health
Your health might be suffering during pregnancy. Perhaps you’ve had serious morning sickness that made it hard to work or even eat a simple meal. Maybe you’ve been dealing with severe aches and pains that keep you up at night.
Pregnancy symptoms can range from mild to debilitating, and if you’re struggling with symptoms that are affecting your mental health, you’re not alone. This can be especially difficult to cope with if you have a physically demanding job, or if you’ve had to temporarily stop working due to your symptoms.
Lack of Support
Finally, many women feel unsupported during pregnancy. They might be irritated with comments from their relatives or in-laws about what they “should” be doing, or they may feel like people only want to stick around for the Kodak moments like baby showers. Yet when they really need help, they don’t have anywhere to turn.
Additionally, some women find that their partners are not as supportive as they had expected or hoped. Instead, they feel like they need to handle the emotional and physical changes alone, without much understanding from their partner.
—
Are you struggling with depression during your pregnancy? Talking to a therapist can help you cope. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling an appointment for perinatal counseling or women’s therapy.