Both during pregnancy and after childbirth it is possible that you cannot enjoy as you expected. You feel gloomy and everything is too much. Every now and then an “off” day is just part of it. But when is it still normal and when do you suffer from pre- or post-natal depression?
Research has shown that women do not seek help until late. It's just part of it, we seem to think. Every year, around 200.000 women become mothers in the Netherlands, and 10% of them develop depression, half of which develop within a month of giving birth (Engels, Haspels, 2003).
Also watch: Tips for uncertainty and anxiety during pregnancy
Although a mild depression spontaneously recovers within 2 to 6 months, there are also women who suffer from it for much longer and that is a shame because there is something that can be done about it. There is almost never a single cause, but a confluence of factors that increase your vulnerability to getting pre- or post-natal depression. Hormonal fluctuations affect how you feel. Everyone knows the crying days during the maternity week, a completely normal phenomenon.
Life events increase the risk of depression (in general). Childbirth, even if it was not complicated, is seen as a life event (English, 2003) just like a wedding, moving house, loss of a loved one, a change of job or a divorce. Life events cause stress and increase the risk of depression. Stress gives fatigue, sleeping problems, heart palpitations muscle stiffness and can eventually become chronic leiden to exhaustion (burn out).
Fortunately, there are many possibilities to feel better in a "natural" way. For example, I recommend the use of specific vitamins and minerals and, if necessary, light therapy. The (old-fashioned) advice to go outside with the pram (preferably together with someone else) every day was not so bad after all. Studies show that exercise (sports) and daily exposure to light help with depression.
It just doesn't always happen. How do I do that? I want peace! mothers say to me. And I understand that very well. Yet there are also keys to a speedy recovery in your own hands. It requires a different way of looking at your situation and yourself. Review your priorities. Is taking care of yourself actually on your priority list? Or, for example, do you leave sports first when it's busy? We want the best for our children and set the bar very high unnoticed. Being able to let go of what we think we should of ourselves already gives a lot of peace of mind.
Do you put yourself on the agenda? I hope so. Because taking good care of yourself is the first step for a better balance. It gives you strength to get through difficult times. I would be happy to help you with this, feel free to contact me without obligation.