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Tips on How to Conceive a Baby Boy
Should you wait until you’re depressed before you reach out for help?
It’s a common misconception that psychological support and therapy is only for people who have a diagnosed mental health condition, like postnatal depression. What’s more, many women delay seeking help because they explain away their symptoms as the baby blues, or sleep deprivation or adjusting to parenthood when these may be early signs of perinatal anxiety or depression.
1 in 5 women will experience perinatal anxiety and depression, during pregnancy and/or in the first twelve months after birth.
Early intervention, which means seeking help earlier rather than later, is key. While therapy is effective in the treatment of perinatal mental illness, it can also be used as a preventative measure, too. It can prevent relapse and reduce the severity of the depression when support is accessed early.
Before we discuss the 3 benefits of early access to psychological support in pregnancy, read on to discover whether you could benefit from it.
There are a number of factors that place some women more at risk of developing perinatal anxiety or depression than other women. These include:
If, during pregnancy, you’re thinking more about your own childhood experiences and the way you were parented and you want to provide a different experience for your child, then therapy can provide a safe space to explore this.
While risk factors such as those listed above do not guarantee you will experience perinatal depression or anxiety, knowing if you have these risk factors can help you be more aware of how you’re feeling during pregnancy or after your baby is born.
There are many benefits, for both you and your baby, when you access early psychological support and therapy.
We know that caring for a baby is really challenging when you’re feeling depressed or anxious, not to mention the sleep deprivation! Treating symptoms earlier has better outcomes for mums and bubs.
If you’re a new or expectant parent feeling concerned about your mood, discuss how you’re feeling with your general practitioner, midwife or child and family nurse. Alternatively, you can reach out to your local or state-based perinatal mental health service.
In Australia you can reach the PANDA national helpline on 1300 726 306 Monday to Saturday.