Antenatal depression, which is depression while you are pregnant, is not something that is often talked about. We often hear about women who experience the baby blues, postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, but we are rarely warned about antenatal depression. Today we’re talking about this common pregnancy condition that affects as many as 12% of women when they’re pregnant, how you can recognise it and how you can get help.

What are the symptoms of antenatal depression?

While pregnancy is expected to be an emotional time in a woman’s life as a major life event where her body is quickly changing and adapting to a new life inside her, there are some women for whom these emotions can become more extreme. 

The symptoms to look out for of antenatal depression at any time during pregnancy are:

  • Low mood
  • Lack of energy
  • Poor sleep
  • Lack of concentration
  • Feeling strong emotions such as irritability, sadness or detached
  • Anxiety and worry about pregnancy, birth and parenthood
  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feeling guilty
  • Lack of appetite
  • Lack of interest in pregnancy or yourself

Many of these symptoms can be typical of pregnancy anyway, such as disturbed sleep and lack of energy, so it’s important to be aware of what is normal for you and to flag up anything unusual to your midwife or doctor so they can help you evaluate whether you need more support.

What causes antenatal depression?

The common stereotype of a pregnant woman is hormones all over the place, varying between emotional states from ecstatic joy at finding out their baby’s gender to outbursts of tears at a video of a cute puppy. Despite this common trope, many don’t consider how the hormones of pregnancy can have a serious effect on women’s mental health.

We are all warned by our midwives and health visitors to be aware of postnatal depression which is caused by a sudden decrease in hormones in the body after giving birth, and we are given advice on how to cope and where to seek help after giving birth. 

Antenatal depression is caused by similar hormone imbalances as your body works hard to create a new life, but other factors such as stress, isolation, previous pregnancy experiences, unplanned pregnancy, existing mental health conditions, pressure and more can exacerbate antenatal depression.

Where can I find support for antenatal depression?

Your first port of call as always with pregnancy is your community midwife. Part of their job is to ensure your mental wellbeing so they should regularly check in with you on your mental health, so it’s important that you feel comfortable in sharing anything that concerns you with them. Some women may feel embarrassed or worried to share their feelings with a medical professional for fear of what might happen if they do, but it’s important to get help early to help you feel better.

Your midwife or doctor will be able to guide you in the right direction to get support, whether that’s simply finding some coping mechanisms such as talking to friends and family, locating support groups and antenatal classes, or seeking out techniques like pregnancy yoga and meditation that work for you, or referring you on to a medical professional for counselling, therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or discussing medication if required.

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