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“
There are many exciting
moments to look forward to
,
but p lenty of scary ones too
”
Why do I feel depressed and anxious?
Shouldn’t I be over the moon?
Pregnancy-related anxiety is a real thing, so you should never feel
ashamed or embarrassed to admit to yourself, or to others, that
you’re not on a constant mama high all of the time. Depression,
and its faithful sidekick anxiety, tend to appear during stressful
times in our lives and pregnancy is no exception. While this is
also an extremely exciting time for you, it can also be incredibly
overwhelming to deal with all of the changes that are taking
place in your body and in your life.
Yes, there are so many exciting moments to look forward to as a
mama-to-be, but there are also some pretty scary ones too. Some
of the most common concerns you might feel right now that are
causing you to become depressed or anxious are:
•
Your fears about how this life-changing event will affect you
and your significant other.
•
Seeing your body transform.
•
If you’ve had previous pregnancies that were difficult.
•
The new lifestyle restrictions that pregnancy and motherhood
will have on you.
•
How you’re going to balance work with your new baby.
It’s helpful to know that depression affects about one in four
women during some point in their lives. It can be easy to just
chalk up the blues to all of your pregnancy hormones, but if
you’re feeling really down and can’t shake it then it’s time to reach
out for some help. Pregnancy hormonal changes can affect the
chemicals in your brain and have something to do with your
feelings of depression. With the proper support and treatment,
depression in pregnancy can be managed.
It’s critical to seek out help not just for you, but for your growing
baby. Depression can cause you to lose your appetite, become
lethargic or turn to risky behaviours, which in turn could put your
baby at risk.
MINDFULNESS
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