When you were trying to get pregnant, you imagined just how excited you would be when the day arrived. But now that you’re expecting, you’ve noticed a major shift in your mood. You love your baby already, and you’re looking forward to meeting them and growing your family.
Yet you can’t help but feel down, and your excitement seems to have disappeared. Instead, you feel rundown, tired, and depressed. You almost feel guilty that you’re not enjoying this time, and the enthusiasm from everyone around you makes you wonder why you can’t just put a smile on.
Prenatal depression is far more common than most women realize. Understanding what causes it can help you identify the roots of your depression and manage your symptoms. Here are a few factors that can contribute to prenatal depression.
Hormonal Shifts
Pregnancy brings dramatic shifts in your hormone levels. This affects your mental and physical health, and these hormonal changes are responsible for the wide variety of pregnancy symptoms that women experience.
You can’t control your hormone levels, but their effect on your mental health can be dramatic. Furthermore, women with a family history of depression are more likely to deal with prenatal depression, indicating that there is a genetic component to this condition.
Pregnancy Symptoms
Sometimes, pregnancy symptoms can be so frustrating that they have a significant impact on your mood. If you’re dealing with morning sickness and struggling to keep any food down, living with severe fatigue, or coping with food aversions that leave you feeling nauseous practically all the time, you might feel depressed about your overall health.
Thankfully, for many women, these symptoms often tend to fade away in the second trimester.
Fears of the Future
Before, you could daydream about Kodak moments with your baby. Being pregnant was just an idea, but now, the reality of parenthood is starting to sink in. You might be worried about your baby’s health or stressing out over your finances and the rising cost of living.
Furthermore, you may be prone to “doomscrolling,” and seeing so much negative news on a daily basis can leave you fearful of the world that your child will live in. Your fears of the future could be contributing to prenatal depression.
Adjusting to Lifestyle Changes
There’s no denying that having a child will usher in some major lifestyle changes. Even part of you feels like you’re more than ready to kick off a new chapter in your life, another part might feel like you’ll never be truly ready to let go of your old life.
You might feel like you’re pressed for time already, even without being responsible for another person, and you wonder if you’ll ever have a moment to yourself once the baby arrives. At times, your anxiety about your new life might be overwhelming, and it can be tough to enjoy these days when you know that such massive changes are right around the corner.
Managing Your Symptoms
You are never at fault for prenatal depression. Unfortunately, this is a natural condition, and there’s no specific way to prevent it. But chances are, you wish you felt a bit better.
How can you learn to manage your symptoms in a healthy way? Talking to a therapist can bring you some relief. You’ll be able to get your feelings off your chest and share whatever is on your mind. Plus, they can teach you coping skills that you can apply in your daily life.
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Are you suffering from prenatal depression? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for women's counseling.