Britney Spears has been trending on the internet ever since she announced her pregnancy on Tuesday. After revealing in her post that she is pregnant, the singer opened up about battling perinatal depression during her previous pregnancies.
Recently, she penned a heartfelt note expressing her happiness and concern related to her pregnancy. Talking about experiencing perinatal depression, she wrote, “I have to say it is absolutely horrible. Women didn’t talk about it back then. Some people considered it dangerous if a woman complained like that with a baby inside her but now women talk about it every day. Thank Jesus, we don’t have to keep that pain a reserved proper secret.”
To understand how pregnancy affects the mental health of a woman, let’s know more about perinatal depression in this article.
Depression is common in pregnant women. The condition where a woman feels depressed during the pregnancy time is described as prenatal depression whereas battling depression after giving birth to the baby is termed postpartum depression. The symptoms of perinatal depression can range from minor to severe. However, perinatal depression can be treated with the right guidance and medical support.
Causes of perinatal depression
Pregnancy is said to be a beautiful journey but hormones can play with women’s mental health. They can make the pregnancy period stressful which is not a good thing. There are multiple reasons why a woman gets perinatal depression and each woman might be having a different cause. The pressure of bearing a child, raising it, changes happening to the body, weight gain, expectations of family and society, and hormonal changes can lead to perinatal depression.
Symptoms of perinatal depression
One must talk to their doctor if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms which can be a sign of you going through perinatal depression.
- Frequent crying or weepiness
- Not sleeping well
- Fatigue
- Appetite change
- Loss of excitement for once pleasurable activities
- Anxiety
- Difficulty in feeling a connection with your developing baby
Treatment of perinatal depression
Perinatal depression is treated the same way any other depression is cured. The best part is that perinatal depression can be cured way more successfully than other ones. Doctors can prescribe antidepressants or other steroids to cure the condition. One can also opt for yoga, meditation and calming foods to cope with depression.
