 Your Guide to Preparing Postpartum Mental Health
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Pregnancy isn’t always a happy time for expecting moms. Whether or not the pregnancy was planned, mom’s mental health can be affected by relationship issues, family problems, and financial struggles. In all honesty, I think I cried every day of my pregnancy. I was overjoyed to be expecting a sweet baby boy. Watching him kick and move in my belly excited me, and I couldn’t wait to meet him face-to-face even though my heart already knew him. Still, I cried. That being said, some moms don’t bond with their baby while they are expecting. That’s okay! It’s more common than you think, and it might be a sign of prenatal depression. Is it normal to cry a lot when pregnant?Crying is normal in pregnancy. There’s so many changes during this time with rising hormones, increased responsibility, and the excitement and simultaneous fear of expecting a baby. It’s a huge life change! If crying spells are consistent and last a long time each time, they might signal a separate underlying issue like prenatal depression. Are emotional breakdowns normal during pregnancy?Pregnancy will create an emotional wreck out of you — and that’s a fact. Little things might trigger an emotional outburst, like choosing a color for the nursery or researching breastfeeding techniques. That being said, there are mental health issues that arise in pregnancy. These aren’t normal for everyone, and you don’t have to suffer all nine months with them. We’ll touch more on prenatal depression in this post, but other issues involve:
Excessive crying might lead to preterm birth risks and low birth weight, according to a 2016 study from the Australian College of Midwives,1 but that shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Crying affects your unborn baby based on how you act as a result of your severe depression. Short bursts of crying, or even daily crying spells like I had, won’t affect your baby’s development! Continue reading to learn the 4 actions that will harm your baby’s development.Can pregnancy impact your mental health?Pregnancy can greatly affect your mental health no matter what your situation is. No matter if it’s planned or unplanned. No matter if you’re married, in a relationship, or single. No matter if you have a personal mental health history or not. Everyone is equal under the influence of pregnancy hormones and associated life stressors. 1. HormonesPregnancy hormones can be a rollercoaster of emotions, directly impacting your mental health. There’s not much one can do about hormone changes other than being aware of their presence and utilizing coping skills when they do affect you. 2. Relationship stressorsRomantic relationships often fall victim to pregnancy and postpartum changes. Two opinions and two family of origins must intermingle to create a new family. Let me warn you: that is hard work. Mental health struggles, body image issues, and physical symptoms of pregnancy also add stress to a relationship. A man might not feel as loved when their significant other isn’t being as physically affectionate as they were before pregnancy. They might also feel “second-best” to the baby starting in pregnancy. One of the worst factors impacting relationships is that everything you experience during pregnancy can add stress to the relationships, like hormones, family problems, finances, decision-making, and mental health issues. Related: How to Save Your Marriage After Baby 3. Familial disputesArguments within the family arise during pregnancy, especially if the pregnancy is unplanned. Depending on how close you are to your immediate and extended family, these arguments can weigh heavy in your mind. Reasons for the disputes might be:
4. Financial strugglesBabies are expensive even before they’re born. There are ways to decrease the cost of having a baby, but children still impact your bank account. Related: 5 Ways Finances Cause Postpartum Depression 5. Increased vulnerabilityPregnant women are among the most vulnerable, and they recognize that fact all too well. While men can run from a pregnancy and the responsibility, should he choose too, women cannot run to avoid it. Additionally, their self-image is vulnerable and their career might be at stake. (See #7) No one is harder on a pregnant woman than she is on herself. 6. Overwhelming need to make decisionsWith increased responsibility comes an increased amount of decisions to make. This can involve heavy research, self-doubting, and questioning everything. You never truly know if you’re making the right decision beyond going with your gut in pregnancy. Motherhood is hard! 7. Job strainAlthough I’m writing this in 2021, pregnant women are still at risk of job insecurity. (This needs to change immediately, but that’s a post for another time.) Job strains involve:
8. Elevates previous mental health history8 Signs of Depression in PregnancyPrenatal depression symptoms are similar to those of generalized depression. These signs can be framed around expecting a new baby, though. 1. Constant sadness2. Feeling unsure about your ability to parent3. Low self-esteem in general4. Increased fatigue, beyond typical pregnancy symptoms5. Anxiety, especially worrying about baby6. Uninterested in activities or hobbies you once enjoyed7. Not taking care of yourself nutritionally or with physical exercise8. Suicidal thoughtsHow to treat prenatal depressionIt’s important to treat depression as soon as possible, especially when you’re pregnant. Untreated prenatal depression can lead to unhealthy coping habits that affect child development or severe postpartum depression. Related: 15 Undeniable Symptoms of Postpartum Depression Treatments for depression during pregnancy include:
Can my baby feel my emotions when I’m pregnant?At the surface level, yes, babies feel your emotions in pregnancy. Many cultures hold beliefs that mom’s thoughts and emotions during pregnancy directly impact a child’s temperament. But how true is that? Babies hear your heartbeat, hearing it speed up with anxiety. A study from the Association for Psychological Science suggested that the consistency of baby’s environment before and after birth plays a significant part in its development. Maintaining a calm environment before and after birth is the most important.What affects your unborn baby is mostly the impact of your actions as a result of experiencing stress or prenatal depression. We’ll touch on this in the next section. Can crying and stress cause miscarriage?Crying and stress can’t cause miscarriage on their own. Everyday stress doesn’t lead to pregnancy loss. However, actions as a result of prenatal depression can harm the pregnancy or your unborn baby. These actions are on the extreme side of prenatal depression. They include:
How can I improve my mood while pregnant?In order for a child to develop properly, they need a mom who is developing properly. That’s why treating your depression early is so important. Related: 35 People Who Will Support You in Pregnancy and Postpartum To improve your mood while pregnant, or at least reduce how often you spend crying, try these methods:
Here’s a free guide to building a postpartum support team, and you can start using it in pregnancy!
Does prenatal depression mean my baby will be sad?Even though I cried every day of my pregnancy (and that’s not an exaggeration), my sweet baby boy is intelligent, kind, and full of complete joy. He strives to make other people laugh even at the young age of one. Prenatal depression symptoms aren’t the end-all-be-all, but treatment is needed. Footnotes1 Liou, S., Wang, P., & Cheng, C. (2016). Effects of prenatal maternal mental distress on birth outcomes. Women and Birth, 29(4), 376-380. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2016.03.004 Have you experienced prenatal depression signs? Share with us in the comments below!Related posts on depression while pregnantSigns of depression in pregnancy – does crying affect the babyDoes crying while pregnant effect the baby?Can crying and depression affect an unborn baby? Having an occasional crying spell isn't likely to harm your unborn baby. More severe depression during pregnancy, however, could possibly have a negative impact on your pregnancy.
Can crying too much cause a miscarriage?Answer From Yvonne Butler Tobah, M.D. While excessive stress isn't good for your overall health, there's no evidence that stress results in miscarriage.
Is it OK to cry a lot while pregnant?Although emotional changes and crying are a normal part of pregnancy, crying a lot can also be a symptom of depression. Figuring out the difference between mood swings during pregnancy and depression is difficult.
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