Shade Oguntola identified
depression and anxiety as common problems which women often dismiss as temporary moodiness that
often accompanies pregnancy. She stressed that medical experts, warn that these mood-related problems have health implications for the unborn baby. According to her report, becoming pregnant is always a special moment in the life of a woman which she described as a time when women go through a kaleidoscope of emotions, from elation to
depression. It is generally held that during pregnancy, nature creates a complete new mix of hormones that help protect women during this emotional period. Unfortunately, many women do not conform to this theory and they experience depression. Depression is more than just feeling “blue” or “down in the dumps” for a few days. It’s a serious illness that involves the brain. With depression, sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings don’t go away; they interfere with day-to-day routines. These feelings can be from mild to severe. You know you are depressed during pregnancy when you increasingly feel low, and increasingly feel helpless. You find it difficult to sleep; you are continually irritable; you are quick to lose temper and equally quick to cry. Your energy levels yo-yo between high and low, and you continuously feel restless. You are not interested in what you eat, and worst of all - you feel like hurting your baby. At times, you also feel like hurting yourself and there could be suicidal tendencies. Is it common to suffer from depression or anxiety during pregnancy? Many pregnant women experience heightened emotions, both good and bad. Others feel more depressed or anxious. Mr. Rimi Haruna’s experience when his wife was pregnant with their second baby, corroborated what men, sometimes, tolerate, not realising that what their wives had were signs of depression or anxiety. He said, “When she was four months pregnant, I just noticed that she was quick at snapping at the house help, her little son and even me, at any slight provocation. According to her, some women also have depressive symptoms right before their periods. Although, pregnancy is often portrayed as a time of great joy, that’s not the reality for all women.
She said the extreme irritability, having trouble sleeping, feeling restless or moody, having no energy or motivation, never-ending fatigue and desire to eat only certain food items, all seemed like common enough pregnancy complaints that they dismissed as usual. These include lack of support from family and friends, a personal history of depression or mental illness, marriage or money problems, stressful events and negative feelings about the pregnancy. We know that the physical and hormonal changes that go with pregnancy may also influence how the woman feels about herself. She may begin to see herself: am I the same person, does my partner see me in the same mode he used to see me before pregnancy?” He explained that “some women, particularly depending on their personalities, are more prone to being influenced merely by these changes, which are more marked at the time of delivery. “Although, really having early delivery has not been frankly associated with mood disorder, but the condition is more
important in terms of how the pregnant woman would comply with instructions like using her prescribed blood forming pills and handle the baby particularly, after delivery. If she is not in a stable state of mind, she may mishandle the baby, leading to the possibility of poor outcome for the baby.” He opined that if a woman was showing such signs of mood problems or other psychiatry illnesses, the husband or relations around her should exhibit a high sense of observation so as to ensure she sought medical help when necessary, showed more care and took extra care that the basic things she was supposed to do such as regular antenatal visit, taking of her prescribed drugs, eating well and so on were met. Dr. Innocent Ujah, a professor of obstetrician and gynecologist from University of Jos, Plateau State, declared that many things could account for antenatal depression in pregnant women. ”It depends on so many factors, such as the woman’s family history or genetic make-up or environmental factors. This is important, considering that it can also pose health risks to the baby in her womb. Research has shown, for instance, that depression and anxiety can increase her risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and preterm labour. Preterm birth is the leading cause of new babies’ death and medical expenditures for newborns. It can make it difficult for women to bond with their infants as well as hamper their abilities to care for themselves and their developing babies. But treatment options exist. To ease mood disorders in pregnancy, lifestyle elements are quite important, experts agree, including stress reduction, eating well, drinking enough of water, consistently getting good sleep, and exercising. Depending on the depression’s severity and cause, such may require having cognitive behavioral therapy. While some research suggests certain antidepressants may pose risks to the baby, some have been shown to be safer than others. But the risks must be weighed against the dangers to the baby developing inside a mother who cannot function because she is depressed and not caring for herself