A lot of people may have head of postnatal depression but how many have heard of prenatal?
Like depression in males, it's an unspoken illness. Many women will probably feel unable to talk about it for many reasons. I have a strong feeling one of those reasons will be shame; shame that you are carrying a child and you should be happy?
Whatever your journey to becoming pregnant, you are or have been at some point sunk into a pit of awfulness that made it all the more difficult to deal with in spite of pregnancy or because of pregnancy. Question is what can be done about it?
From personal experience and reading about others personal experiences it seems that the NHS fails them/us greatly. Resources are few and far between but there are prenatal depression teams out there. Psychiatrists specialising in pregnant women are out there but getting one might be a problem. I was lucky enough to get one but she was still not the responsible caring physician she should have been. It may be that you get referred to one and that in itself is a relief but the person at the other end of the referral may not be the answer to someones prayers.
It's just something that you may come across. If you do and you find that the person you have been referred to isn't what you expected and you don't get on then do not despair. It could be a strong trigger for you but please do not think that it is the end of the road.
On many occasions I have put my life in the hands of healthcare professionals and been sorely disappointed and nearly thrown in the towel. But somehow I have managed to keep going. And so must you. Somehow.
Perinatal depression does not mean:-
You are a failure. You are not, you are ill.
Incapable of looking after your child when it is born.
You will have a propensity for post natal depression.
You don't deserve your child. You do.
You will continue to be ill after the child is born, for years maybe. There is no way of knowing whether you will continue to suffer depression in the future.
A bad person for being ungrateful for the child growing in you. That is not true at all. You are ill and it will get better.
You will have your child taken away from you. That again isn't true. Only extreme cases of mental ill health have their children taken into care.
What can be done to deal with it?
First of all, talk about it. Admit it. You are not a failure for admitting it. Talk to someone you can trust. If you have a partner, let them know.
Find help on the net. Panda is a great resource, although it's based in Australia it may just give you the boost you need.
Finding mothers with prenatal depression might help too. Attending groups for mothers with prenatal depression will make you feel less alone. A mental health professional should be able to point you in the direction but if there isn't one locally, try and find one on the internet.
Go to your GP. Hopefully they will be understanding and get you some counselling to help you through your pregnancy and the first few months of your babies life.
Realise that your feelings are an illness talking. Not reality. You may have all sort of horrid thoughts going though your head but they aren't reality.
Try and find some positives in everyday. Even the smallest things. And focus on them rather than giving the negative thoughts room to breathe. Suffocate them and push them out of your mind. You are not this thoughts.
Research it and look into it. The more you read about it the more you will be informed.
Write a diary. It's a good way of getting your feelings out. You can always destroy it when you are feeling better.
Complimentary therapies are a great way to help alleviate all sorts of symptoms and can be done whilst you are pregnant. I chose acupuncture, which more than once saved me. They are quite safe to use whilst pregnant as long as your practitioner knows you are pregnant.
Use mental health resources on the net such as Sane or Mind. You might find something helpful there.
Talk to your employer. They might be able to offer you support and help through occupational health department. Some employers offer a counselling service. Talk to you boss about a change in hours maybe or unpaid time off perhaps.
Read self help books about depression. There are not a lot of books out there about prenatal depression but many about depression. Something might strict a cord with you and be the stepping stone you need.
Read books about gratitude, positivity and mindfulness. They are great practices for grounding us and bringing us back to reality. Depression takes us to a place that isn't real.
You can take antidepressants whilst pregnant, but they are limited to which ones. No one antidepressant is licensed in the UK for use in pregnancy however evidence suggests that untreated mothers are more of a risk than treated ones and some antidepressants that have been around longer have not proven to effect the unborn baby.
Do know that you aren't alone and it will ease. Be brave and strong and find whatever it is you need to keep yourself going from one day to the next. Self love and self care are very important and you are very significant in this world. You are important.
Like depression in males, it's an unspoken illness. Many women will probably feel unable to talk about it for many reasons. I have a strong feeling one of those reasons will be shame; shame that you are carrying a child and you should be happy?
Whatever your journey to becoming pregnant, you are or have been at some point sunk into a pit of awfulness that made it all the more difficult to deal with in spite of pregnancy or because of pregnancy. Question is what can be done about it?
From personal experience and reading about others personal experiences it seems that the NHS fails them/us greatly. Resources are few and far between but there are prenatal depression teams out there. Psychiatrists specialising in pregnant women are out there but getting one might be a problem. I was lucky enough to get one but she was still not the responsible caring physician she should have been. It may be that you get referred to one and that in itself is a relief but the person at the other end of the referral may not be the answer to someones prayers.
It's just something that you may come across. If you do and you find that the person you have been referred to isn't what you expected and you don't get on then do not despair. It could be a strong trigger for you but please do not think that it is the end of the road.
On many occasions I have put my life in the hands of healthcare professionals and been sorely disappointed and nearly thrown in the towel. But somehow I have managed to keep going. And so must you. Somehow.
Perinatal depression does not mean:-
You are a failure. You are not, you are ill.
Incapable of looking after your child when it is born.
You will have a propensity for post natal depression.
You don't deserve your child. You do.
You will continue to be ill after the child is born, for years maybe. There is no way of knowing whether you will continue to suffer depression in the future.
A bad person for being ungrateful for the child growing in you. That is not true at all. You are ill and it will get better.
You will have your child taken away from you. That again isn't true. Only extreme cases of mental ill health have their children taken into care.
What can be done to deal with it?
First of all, talk about it. Admit it. You are not a failure for admitting it. Talk to someone you can trust. If you have a partner, let them know.
Find help on the net. Panda is a great resource, although it's based in Australia it may just give you the boost you need.
Finding mothers with prenatal depression might help too. Attending groups for mothers with prenatal depression will make you feel less alone. A mental health professional should be able to point you in the direction but if there isn't one locally, try and find one on the internet.
Go to your GP. Hopefully they will be understanding and get you some counselling to help you through your pregnancy and the first few months of your babies life.
Realise that your feelings are an illness talking. Not reality. You may have all sort of horrid thoughts going though your head but they aren't reality.
Try and find some positives in everyday. Even the smallest things. And focus on them rather than giving the negative thoughts room to breathe. Suffocate them and push them out of your mind. You are not this thoughts.
Research it and look into it. The more you read about it the more you will be informed.
Write a diary. It's a good way of getting your feelings out. You can always destroy it when you are feeling better.
Complimentary therapies are a great way to help alleviate all sorts of symptoms and can be done whilst you are pregnant. I chose acupuncture, which more than once saved me. They are quite safe to use whilst pregnant as long as your practitioner knows you are pregnant.
Use mental health resources on the net such as Sane or Mind. You might find something helpful there.
Talk to your employer. They might be able to offer you support and help through occupational health department. Some employers offer a counselling service. Talk to you boss about a change in hours maybe or unpaid time off perhaps.
Read self help books about depression. There are not a lot of books out there about prenatal depression but many about depression. Something might strict a cord with you and be the stepping stone you need.
Read books about gratitude, positivity and mindfulness. They are great practices for grounding us and bringing us back to reality. Depression takes us to a place that isn't real.
You can take antidepressants whilst pregnant, but they are limited to which ones. No one antidepressant is licensed in the UK for use in pregnancy however evidence suggests that untreated mothers are more of a risk than treated ones and some antidepressants that have been around longer have not proven to effect the unborn baby.
Do know that you aren't alone and it will ease. Be brave and strong and find whatever it is you need to keep yourself going from one day to the next. Self love and self care are very important and you are very significant in this world. You are important.
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