Pregnancy and motherhood bring with them the most dramatic life changes that most women experience.
40 per cent of South African women affected
It’s a time of hope and happiness, but also of fatigue and feeling overwhelmed. Depression and anxiety are common during pregnancy, and may affect as many as 40 per cent of pregnant women in South Africa.
Risk factors
- A conflicted pregnancy, e.g. unplanned, ill-timed
- An ‘emotionally charged’ pregnancy, e.g. post-infertility pregnancies
- A complicated pregnancy
- Major stressful life events, e.g. a death in the family, miscarriage, relocation, losing your job
- Stress relating to your income or home (socio-economic factors)
- A lack of emotional support, especially from your family or partner
- Previous depression
Taking care of yourself for your baby
“You are your baby’s most important person, so take care of yourself,” says the chairperson of the Post Natal Depression Support Association (PNDSA), Dr Bavanisha Vythilingum, who is also a specialist psychiatrist in a private practice.
“There is no shame in experiencing depression during pregnancy – acknowledging how you are feeling and seeking help to ensure your emotional well-being is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child.”
Baby blues that linger
Most new moms have ‘the blues’ shortly after birth. For a few days, you may feel anxious, tearful, tired and irritable. This is normal and should clear up in about two weeks. If you are so blue that you cannot care for your child or yourself, have thoughts of hurting either yourself or the baby and are sad for more than two weeks, you could have postnatal depression and should seek help as soon as possible.
Postnatal depression can develop slowly and at any time during the first year of your baby’s life. If left untreated, it can escalate and affect your interaction with your baby.
About the Author: Dr Noluthando Nematswerani is a Discovery Health Clinical Specialist. For more information on Discovery, visit www.discovery.co.za. You can also visit Discovery’s YouTube channel DiscoverySA for Medical Miracle stories.
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