Topic: Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy and After Birth
Depression and anxiety that happen during pregnancy or anytime during the first year after the birth of your baby are medical conditions. These feelings are not something you caused by doing or not doing something. And, they can be treated if you seek help.
What are depression and anxiety?
Depression—feeling sad, empty, and/or “down”—and anxiety—feeling nervous, worried, and/or scared—are serious medical conditions that involve the brain and may occur during pregnancy or after birth. These feelings go beyond what people may experience when they have a bad day or are nervous about an upcoming event. They are also more than “just feeling moody” or having the “baby blues.”
Depression and anxiety may get in the way of doing everyday activities, like taking care of yourself and your baby. They are long lasting and won’t go away on their own. But they are treatable, which is why it’s important to get help.
Are you talking about postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is one name you might hear for depre ssion and anxiety that can happen during and after pregnancy. But it might not be the best way to describe what women feel. The word “postpartum” means “after birth,” so “postpartum depression” is talking only about depression after the baby is born. For many women, this term is correct: they start feeling depression sometime within the first year after they have the baby.
You might hear the term “perinatal depression” to describe this situation. The word “perinatal” describes the time during pregnancy or just after birth. Researchers believe that depression is one of the most common problems women experience during and after pregnancy.
We now know that women may also experience anxiety around the time of pregnancy, beyond just being nervous about having a baby. Anxiety during and after pregnancy is as common as depression and may even happen at the same time as depression. So, you also may hear “perinatal depression and anxiety” or “perinatal mood and anxiety disorders” used to describe all of what women might feel. No matter what you call them, depression and anxiety that happen during pregnancy or after birth are real medical conditions, and they affect many women.
Topic Discussed: Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy and After Birth
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