When you look at the shiny pregnancy magazines, and hear that pregnant women have a glow it can make it seem that pregnancy is nothing but a joy. This is certainly true in an ideal situation, but with so much financial upheaval, broken relationships and even just plain bad timing or health concerns there are many pregnancies that are not joyous.
The anxiety and pressure can cause an expectant mother to become a victim of depression. Researchers have found that each year more than 400,000 babies are born to mothers who are depressed. With this many babies being born to mothers who are depressed what are the chances that these mothers not only have the well known “baby blues” or post partum depression after birth but also that they are not experiencing the best level of bonding for their children. Sadly, the chances are high that the mothers who suffer from depression are likely to not only not bond with their infants, but also feel much more pressure when dealing with the demands of a newborn.
Depression can lead to physical ailments, child neglect, abuse and many other situations where the mother and the newborn are at risk. The glossy magazines and advertisements that are showing pregnancy as nothing but a happy time are portraying the situation in one way and leading pregnant women to cover the symptoms of their depression and strive to have the “right” attitude about their pregnancy.
It is important that a depressed woman who is pregnant discusses the situation with their doctor to work through to finding the joy in their pregnancy.
