Pregnancy is often portrayed as a time of great joy and happiness, so for those women that are fighting the pregnancy blues, they may feel like the only ones out there who feel this way. Although a majority of women will love the glorious feeling of being pregnant, at least one in ten pregnant women suffers from bouts of depression.

In the past, experts believed that pregnancy hormones protected women against depression, leaving women more vulnerable to the illness once their baby was born. However, studies now show that the rapid increase in hormone levels at the start of pregnancy can disrupt brain chemistry, leading to unusual mood swings and depression.

Many women will suffer from sort of depression during pregnancy, however they often go undiagnosed. Here is a list of symptoms of depression during pregnancy:

• A sense of sadness or emptiness for most of the day.
• A sense of lack of enjoyment in life.
• Unable to have fun, smile or laugh.
• Unable to look forward to things in the future with excitement or happiness.
• The inability to concentrate.
• Extreme anger, agitation or irritability.
• Excessive crying.
• Excessive sleeping.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Excessive eating.
• Lack of desire to eat.
• Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness.

These are some of the emotions you may feel when being depressed whilst pregnant. Some of these feelings may also appear to healthy women during pregnancy, such as the inability to concentrate or trouble sleeping.

Another sign of depression during pregnancy is extreme mood swings, if you go from being happy in one moment, to a strong feeling of anger or sadness in the next; this is a sign of pregnancy blues.

How to Treat your Problems

The first step to treating your depression is by letting someone know. Battling depression on your own can be difficult. If you are not ready to tell your partner, family or friends, tell your doctor or midwife.

Doctors and midwives will be highly experienced in this area and will be able to tell you how to deal with your problems. Depending on the severity of your depression, you may be advised to go for counselling or to take antidepressant medication.

How to Prevent Depression

Although treating your depression is extremely important, it is equally important to understand how to prevent becoming depressed in the first place.

Depression is biochemical conditions, so you may not be able to avoid them altogether if you are prone. But taking care of yourself physically and emotionally is the first step to avoiding the problem.

Relax – The first step to preventing depression is taking time out for yourself. Resist the urge to get up and start cleaning and tidying and take some time to sit back and do the things you enjoy. Listening to soothing music or reading a book are perfect activities for you to do when you begin feeling a little stressed or unhappy.

Manage stress and anxiety – stress and anxiety can lead to depression. The best way to manage stress and anxiety levels is through speaking to other people. If you begin to develop worries that you cannot handle on your own, speak to your friends and family and they may be able to help you out in this tough time.

GLOWM offers expert pregnancy and medical advice to women free of charge. To get further advice on women’s healthcare, please visit http://www.glowm.com/