Depression in pregnancy

It is very complicated to face a treatment for clinical depression during pregnancy. This is because; there is a risk in having antidepressants medicines during pregnancy. But the combined attempts of doctors and psychiatrists can cure it.

Women are generally very emotional and sentimental in first few days of pregnancy. Near about 20% pregnant women need antidepressant treatment every year. Actual ratio is definitely bigger than that as women are taken very softly in the pregnancy period and this turns into neglecting psychological diseases. Safety measures in pregnancy and over cautious subjective view make them more emotional and depressed. It may cause serious psychiatric effects on a pregnant woman.

Antidepressants can harm the child of a pregnant woman. But even the depression can harm the baby. So, it depends on the severity of the disease and the decision of the caretakers of a patient.

Depression in a pregnant woman can cause some problems to a newborn. Those are irritability, less attentiveness and slowness in activities. Short gestation period is also one of these affects.  The intake of antidepressants can cause some serious problems like pulmonary hypertension, weight reduction and cardiac defects in the newborn baby.

Identifying depression is very difficult in pregnancy.  Generally, women become emotional, homesick and hyper in pregnancy. Over attention and some physical changes make them upset.

Sudden changes in mood, low energy are very usual symptoms in all pregnant women.

If a pregnant woman is upset most of the time, addicted to drugs or alcohol and stagnant low in energy, then these are few symptoms of depression in pregnancy. Poor prenatal care leads to unhealthy pregnancy in many cases. 

If the disease is at a primary level, it can be treated with psychotherapy sessions. These can be taken in combination with medication too. In such cases doctors and therapists need the permission of the caretakers of the patient.

Those women, who have very minute clinical depression, can choose to be pregnant. But before planning so, you need to stop all the antidepressant medicines at least before 6 months. It should be done with the advice of your gynecologist and psychiatrist. In the case of severe clinical depression, there is no point in taking the risk for both, baby and the mother. In some cases severe patients also can have babies, but it is too risky. Such patients should be treated with meditations, psycho therapies and anti –attacking consultation. 

Generally, it is suggested that those women who are mildly depressed should stop medication, and even those who are in medium severity level also can choose to do the same. The sessions of psychiatrist and meditations are necessary for them. Those women who have severe depression are treated under observation and with the combined treatment of psychiatrists and gynecologist.

If a depression patient wants to get pregnant, she should consult a doctor before taking any decision. Case history, suicide attempts and such issues need to be discussed frankly with the doctor. It will help you to have a less critical pregnancy. Take the right decision and remember “risk bears profit” have a happy parenthood.