Prevalence of Antenatal Depression

These fears are not unusual and all pregnant women should expect some mood variation in pregnancy.  But for about 10% of pregnant women depression can become a significant problem with Antenatal Depression.

Symptoms of Antenatal Depression

Everyone's experience of pregnancy is different, however just as there are expected physical changes, there are also some common changes in emotion associated with each trimester, such as mood swings, anxiety, sensuality and excitement.  So when should a woman be concerned that what she is experiencing falls outside these normal variation in mood?  A woman may be suffering from antenatal depression if she feels some of the following symptoms during her pregnancy:

• Inability to concentrate and difficulty remembering
• Difficulty making decisions
• Anxiety about the pregnancy or becoming parents
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Extreme irritability
• Sleep problems not related to the pregnancy
• Extreme or unending fatigue
• A desire to eat all the time or not wanting to eat at all
• Weight loss or weight gain not related to pregnancy
• Loss of interest in sex
• A sense that nothing feels enjoyable or fun any more, including the pregnancy
• Feeling like a failure, feelings of guilt
• Persistent sadness.
• Thoughts of death or suicide