Pregnancy & Depression: Bod Beat Episode 2

Pregnancy is supposed to be one of the happiest times of a woman’s life, but for many women this is a time of confusion, fear, sadness, stress, and even depression. About 10-20% of women will struggle with some symptoms of depression during pregnancy, and a quarter to half of these will suffer from major depression.

Depression is a mood disorder that affects 1 in 4 women at some point during their lifetime, so it should be no surprise that this illness would also touch women who are pregnant. But all too often, depression is not diagnosed properly during pregnancy because people think it is just another type of hormonal imbalance. This assumption can be dangerous for the mother and the unborn baby.

Depression is an illness that can be treated and managed during pregnancy, but the first step, seeking out help and support, is the most important.

What is depression during pregnancy?

Depression during pregnancy, or antepartum depression, is a mood disorder just like clinical depression. Mood disorders are biological illnesses that involve changes in brain chemistry. During pregnancy, hormone changes can affect brain chemicals, which are directly related to depression and anxiety. These can be exacerbated by difficult life situations, which can result in depression during pregnancy.

What are the signs of depression during pregnancy?

Women with depression usually experience some of the following symptoms for 2 weeks or more:

         Persistent sadness

        Difficulty concentrating

Sleeping too little or too much

Loss of interest in activities that you usually enjoy

Recurring thoughts of death, suicide, or hopelessness

Anxiety

Feelings of guilt or worthlessness

Change in eating habits

What are possible triggers of depression during pregnancy?

                   Relationship problems

                   Family or personal history of depression

                   Infertility treatments

                   Previous pregnancy loss

                   Stressful life events

                   Complications in pregnancy

                   History of abuse or trauma

Can depression during pregnancy cause harm to my baby?

Depression that is not treated can have potential dangerous risks to the mother and baby. Untreated depression can lead to poor nutrition, drinking, smoking, and suicidal behavior, which can then cause premature birth, low birth weight, and developmental problems. A woman who is depressed often does not have the strength or desire to adequately care for herself or her developing baby.

What is the treatment for depression during pregnancy?

If you feel you may be struggling with depression, the most important thing is to seek help. Talk with your health care provider about your symptoms and struggles. Your health care provider wants the healthiest choice for you and your baby and may discuss options with you for treatment. Treatment options for women who are pregnant can include:

                   Support groups

                   Private psychotherapy

                   Medication (SSRI’s)

                   Light therapy (SAD)

How can I help prevent depression and anxiety during pregnancy?

Depression and anxiety are biochemical conditions, so you may not be able to avoid them altogether if you’re prone to them. But taking care of yourself emotionally can help ease your symptoms and keep your spirits up.

1• Take it easy. Resist the urge to pack in as many chores as you can before the baby comes. You may think you need to set up the nursery, clean the house, or work as much as you can before you go on maternity leave, but you don’t. Pencil yourself in at the top of your to-do list. You won’t have as much time for yourself once the baby’s around. Read a book, have breakfast in bed, or go for a nice long walk around the neighborhood. Choose something that makes you feel good. Taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of your baby.

2•  Bond with your partner. Make sure you’re spending plenty of time with your partner and nurturing your relationship. Take a vacation now if you can. Do what you can to strengthen your connection so that once the baby comes, you’ll have that bond to rely on.

3•  Talk it out. Air out your fears and worries about the future with your partner, friends, and family.

4•  Manage your stress. Don’t let frustration build up in your life. Find ways to take care of yourself emotionally. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, get some exercise, and eat well. If you find anxiety creeping in, try taking a pregnancy yoga class or practicing meditation.

If your symptoms are severe, your health care provider may want to prescribe medication immediately. Discuss with your health care provider what he/she feels is safest for your baby but still beneficial to you.

If you do not feel comfortable talking with your health care provider about your feelings of depression, find someone else to talk with. The most important thing is that someone knows what you are dealing with and can try to help you. Never try to face depression alone. Your baby needs you to seek help and get treatment.

Pregnant women with depression face complicated treatment decisions because of the risks associated with both untreated depression and the use of antidepressants. A new report from The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) attempts to help doctors and patients weigh the risks and benefits of various treatment options.

The long term studies showing the side effects of antidepressant to the fetus are still not conclusive. While available research still leaves some questions unanswered, some studies have linked fetal malformations, cardiac defects, pulmonary hypertension, and reduced birth weight to antidepressant use during pregnancy.

About 40 years ago pregnancy became a  Pathology, I mean the medical profession deemed pregnancy a disease that needed medical intervention to proceed adequately. For hundreds of years woman have been giving birth naturally without anesthetics or medical supervision. I am not aware of the statistics showing that mortality of pregnant woman today or their babies have changed that dramatically, now that medicine is on the job.

As a matter of fact there is growing trend for Obstetricians to schedule their pregnant clients for C-sections a few weeks before the due date. Oh yeh, surgery is much safer for all parties involved and the tummy tuck they throw in really helps too. I think that it works for the doctor best, no more 3am calls for deliveries.

So now that the medical community decided to recognize depression during pregnancy. Because before now it was just pregnant woman being pregnant woman, with their hormones out of wack. The medications that they have been weary of prescribing due to the truly unknown long term side effects they might have. Now they are OK….I don’t think so

Your doctor isn’t giving you all of your options, he/ she is not telling you about alternative approaches to regulating brain chemistry.

You should be aware of what all your choices are before you start medications.

Natural Approaches to Depression:

L-Tryptophan (5-HTP)

is an effective amino acid (protein) that can help increase the amount of Happy Hormones (Serotonin ) produced in your body.

Along with increasing serotonin levels it can also increase Melatonin which helps you sleep, especially when you preganant and it increases niacin levels in the body which in turn causes vasodilatation and increases blood flow systemically.

50 mg  three times a day, not harmful to your fetus. It’s like eating a turkey every day, while your pregnant

L-Tyrosine

another amino acid (protein) which will increase the production of Happy Hormones in your system.

2000mg three times a day.

Sam-e

The supplement SAMe is a synthetic form of a compound formed naturally in the body from the essential amino acid methionine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy-producing compound found in all cells in the body

There have been a number of studies on the use of SAMe for depression. It has been hypothesized that SAMe increases the availaibility of neurotransmitter serotonin and dopamine

Omega 3

The omega-3 fatty acid in some fish may be a “brain food” that helps ward off depression because it increases gray matter in three areas that tend to be smaller in people who have serious depression, a study suggests today.

The increase could help explain why past studies have found that the omega-3 acid DHA reduces symptoms of depression. The richest sources of DHA are fatty fish and fish-oil capsules.

Researchers gave magnetic resonance imaging tests to 55 adults. Participants also reported everything they ate for 24 hours on two randomly selected days, says study leader Sarah Conklin, a neuroscientist at University of Pittsburgh Medical School. She’ll report her findings at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting in Budapest.

The more DHA a person consumed, the more gray matter there was in three areas of the brain linked to mood: the amygdala, the hippocampus and the cingulate, Conklin says. Seriously depressed people tend to have less gray matter in these areas

Dr. L