Antepartum and Postpartum Depression
Alecia StantonGet Access to Support, Benefits, and Resources for Expecting Parents. Join the EPAOA Community for FREE!
Pregnancy and motherhood are one of the greatest experiences in most women’s life. For some, it can present a very real challenge though. Antepartum and postpartum depression affects 15% of women throughout the nation. Many women that experience it feel like they are bad mothers or that no one else understands, but this is certainly not the case and can actually make them feel worse. If you think you or someone you know is suffering from antepartum or postpartum depression, here’s what you need to know:
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Guilt
- Hopelessness
- Emptiness
- Increase or decrease in appetite
- Under- or oversleeping
- Brain fog
- Feeling disconnected
- Unable to bond with baby
- Thoughts of harming yourself and/or your baby
- You suffer from any type of diabetes
- You have experience current major life events
- You have personal or family history of mental illness
- Are experiencing high stress
- Have a thyroid imbalance
- Experiencing poverty
- Professional psychotherapy
- Support Groups
- Medication
- Combination therapy
If you are experiencing symptoms, see a professional as soon as possible. You are not alone and antepartum and postpartum depression are highly treatable through the methods above. The sooner you get help, the sooner you will be released from the hold of your depression.
By: Alecia Stanton
