Baby Making

Whatever the reasons for depression, the experience can be terrible. Depression can turn your whole world ‘bad', making everything seem hopeless. You may feel at odds with the world if everyone around you is telling you how wonderful it is that you are pregnant and you feel desperately unhappy and unsure why you feel like this.

We probably all know what it is like to feel miserable but depression is something much more severe and pervasive. The main aspect of depression is a persistent low mood. Often the depression is much worse in the early part of the day and the pregnant women may feel unable to cope at all until the afternoon or evening.

Research has shown that as many as 10 to 16 percent of women are depressed during pregnancy. Clearly, there are many factors common to depression throughout the life cycle. However, this shouldn't discourage researchers from trying to understand which particular aspects of pregnancy and childbirth trigger emotional problems, nor should it deter individuals from understanding which unique aspects of their experience of pregnancy and childbirth have led them to experience emotional difficulties.

The reasons that women become depressed in pregnancy are many.

--Some women may have a history of emotional problems and pregnancy may simply be another ‘life event' that lessens that woman's capacity to cope.

--Problems may arise where the pregnancy was unplanned and the mother-to-be or father-to-be remain unhappy about becoming a parent.

--Previous termination of pregnancy or miscarriage, smoking and drinking in pregnancy or just not being good enough to be the ‘perfect mother'.

--Poor self-esteem puts pregnant women at risk for depression but it may be the prospect of becoming a parent that triggers worries about ‘doing it right' or feeling inadequate.

--Often if you are trying to live up to a perfect image of mother-hood, then it is easy to feel you have ‘failed'.

--The physical changes of pregnancy can affect your mood: persistent sickness and drowsiness can make it hard to engage in the activities that you find pleasurable or that make your life meaningful.

--A poor relationship with your own mother when you were a child can underlie depression at any stage in a person's life but clearly becoming a parent yourself is often what triggers anger and sadness about your own lack of parenting.

Pregnancy is a different experience for everyone but most parents to-be will feel some sense of loss even in a desperately wanted pregnancy. The mother will have to change her work situation; her body will change and probably will never return exactly to the pre-pregnancy state. Both parents will have to give up certain aspects of their life and take on new responsibilities. These reasons can contribute to depression.