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Recognizing and Treating Antepartum Depression
The Usual Ups and Downs of Pregnancy?
You're pregnant. You page through books and browse the Web for articles about "what to expect" in the joyful months ahead. Everyone you meet pats your belly and gushes about the excitement you must be feeling. But what if excitement and joy are far from what you are experiencing? What if you can barely bring yourself to get off the couch or find yourself crying day after day?
Certainly, fatigue and moodiness are normal symptoms of pregnancy; many a pregnant woman have burst into tears over a Kleenex commercial or have been too tired to do much but pick up the remote control. But according to Marcia Starkman, a nurse psychotherapist specializing in prenatal and postpartum depression, 10 percent of pregnant women suffer from something far more serious than the normal symptoms of pregnancy: antepartum depression, or depression that occurs before the baby is born. Unlike its cousin, postpartum depression, or depression that occurs after the baby is born, antepartum depression is rarely discussed or described. Since many of its symptoms are similar to "normal" pregnancy woes, antepartum depression is a difficult condition to recognize. "During the course of pregnancy, many physicians only focus on the woman's and baby's physical well-being, without inquiring about the mom's emotional health," Starkman says.
Women seek Starkman's help when they realize they are not meeting society's expectation that pregnancy should be one of the happiest times of their lives. "They may feel very stressed. They may also exhibit signs of typical clinical depression. In extreme cases, they may even consider suicide."
How do you know if you are among those women or simply experiencing the usual ups and downs of pregnancy? Examine your behavior. Depression is often marked by one or more of the following:
- Lack of motivation or interest
- A change in appetite
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