In the management of depression during pregnancy, psychotherapy alone may be appropriate for some women. However, other women may prefer pharmacotherapy or require pharmacological treatment, according to a report published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology
...it’s very important for women to receive treatment if they are depressed in pregnancy. We know that depression itself crosses the placenta. Depression can hurt the growing baby. It doesn’t only hurt the mom herself who might be trying to self-treat; she might be smoking or she might be drinking; she might be taking over-the-counters; she might be not eating well; she might not be going to her pre-natal visits. So that can certainly hurt her, but it can also be hurting the growing baby.
For new dads, is there a male equivalent of PPD (aka postpartum depression)? There isn’t much research into the subject, but in talking to other counselors and therapists, I would estimate that rates of paternal depression range up to about 25 percent when there isn’t concurrent PPD in the female partner and as high as 50 percent among men whose partners are also experiencing postpartum depression.
Advice for moms suffering from depression during and after pregnancy. "It’s crucial for the mother’s health – and therefore her growing baby’s health – that she does whatever is necessary to treat her depression." Click the title to go to a video link and read the rest of Dr. Shosh's response.
You've just had a baby, but instead of feeling the happiness and joy you anticipated, you are feeling sad and hopeless; you are not alone. According to Dr. Marco Martinez, an obstetrician/gynecologist with the Elmhurst Clinic and on staff at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, up to 80 percent of mothers have these types of feelings after delivery.
