It is true that pregnancy is one of the most exciting and joyful time for most women. However, during this time there are a number of hormonal changes taking place in the body, that can actually result in a lot of stress for a woman. People who are around you often tend to forget that these changes can actually leave you overwhelmed, sad and confused. There are some women for whom this feeling of sadness is temporary, whereas for some other women this can actually lead to worse conditions like depression and continue for a longer period of time.
Why does depression occur during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, there are a number of hormonal changes taking place and these changes can affect the chemicals that are present in the brain. These chemicals are related to anxiety and depression. It is for this reason that depression is quite common during pregnancy.
Understanding depression
Depression is basically a medical condition that makes you feel sad. You tend to lose interest in the things you loved doing. It can actually affect the way you think, feel and also act. It can affect your daily life and it is important to treat depression in the best way possible. Depression meds while pregnant is quite common.
Perinatal depression is a type of depression that occurs during pregnancy or during the first year after giving birth to your baby. This is quite a common medical complication that occurs during pregnancy. If this depression is left untreated, it might cause problems for both the baby and the mother. So in case you are feeling depressed, make sure that you have a talk to your doctor.
Natural ways of treating pregnancy
If you want to treat depression in a natural way during pregnancy, you can follow the steps mentioned below:
- Increase the intake of omega 3
Omega 3 helps in fighting depression and that is why boosting the intake of this mineral during pregnancy can certainly be quite helpful. If you are pregnant and you take just take omega 3 capsules of 1 gram for six weeks, you will see a remarkable reduction of depression scores. Lower levels of omega 3 can increase the chances of postpartum depression. This is one of the best depression in pregnancy treatment.
- Exercising regularly
It is very important that you exercise regularly in order to prevent the occurrence of depression. For a pregnant woman low to moderate intensity exercises is certainly a good option. Studies prove that women who have spent more time sitting during the second trimester have a higher tendency of suffering from depression as compared to women who have exercised during this stage.
- Bright light therapy
This is another way for treating depression during pregnancy. This is quite safe and this can be used for treating depression both before and after child birth. You need to look at the 7000 – 10000 lux illumination for 30 minutes after getting up in the morning.
It is true that depression is common during pregnancy, however if treated properly, it will not cause any complications during pregnancy.
