Pregnancy Depression: How It Affects You and Your Baby

Author Sheehan Fisher, an instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and his co-authors found that more than one-third of women experience pregnancy depression. Their data showed 37 percent of their subjects said they experienced pregnancy depression, 25 percent suffered depression before pregnancy and 38 percent in the postpartum period. They have evaluated 727 women in Pittsburgh with pregnancy depression symptoms during the four to six weeks period.

Chicago Tribune reports on the research that did an examination when patients felt low and whether the depression kicked in before, during or after the pregnancy. The study found out that those who suffer from pregnancy depression symptoms or earlier, experienced a more chronic depression, with higher levels of symptoms, such as signs of insomnia or paranoia. Depression that begins before or during pregnancy would last longer because it is more likely to go untreated, Fisher said.

When a mother has pregnancy depression symptoms, she may stop caring for herself at some point. Thus, leading to miscarriage, delivering a premature baby, or results to the baby's low birth weight. Furthermore, as a new mother, postpartum depression can affect the health and the bond between the mother and the baby. Thismay put the baby at risk since the depression lingers for months.

Untreated #depression in #pregnancy is linked to low birth weight https://t.co/q2VsZ4I8Ww pic.twitter.com/D15DJXdWnf

— Medscape (@Medscape) June 20, 2016

The depression could also affect your child in the long run so you might want to consider taking note of the symptoms of pregnancy depression especially when you are having trouble being loving and caring to your baby all the time. The lack of bond between the mother and child can lead to "insecure attachment" which in turn can have a long-term effect on the child. For instance, teens whose mothers suffer from depression are at high risk of having major depression, anxiety disorder; conduct disorder, ADHD, learning difficulties or even get involved in substance abuse, as per Caring for Kids.

Hormones do change and spike up during pregnancy which then alters chemicals in the brain. Pregnancy depression however is also directly related to anxiety. Remember that pregnancy depression is treatable so let your medical practitioner know when you're feeling down and when you have the symptoms.