Depression and Morning Sickness
Posted on Apr 2, 2012 | Blog Posts, Morning Sickness News, Shared Experiences Category | | Print This Article
photo credit: Miss Monday
It’ll only last for a few weeks. By week twelve or thirteen, the morning sickness will pass and it’ll get better. You’ll see. That’s easy enough to say when you’re not the one feeling nauseous all the time. It’s not easy to deal with when you’re the one going through it.
Depression is a common side effect of morning sickness. Usually, the depression lifts when the morning sickness goes away, but enduring those weeks can be grueling, especially when others seem to brush off your blues with an, “it’ll pass.”
If you experience depression as a result of morning sickness (or any other time during or after pregnancy), talk to your doctor about it. You’re not the first person to feel depressed during the early stages of pregnancy, and your doctor will have sound advice regarding how to cope with your feelings of depression.
It’s important to understand that mild depression is perfectly normal during the first trimester. In fact, studies have shown that prenatal depression is more common (though less likely to be treated) than postpartum depression.
Your hormones are doing crazy things, you have a new life growing inside you, and it feels like every time you turn around you’re getting sick. It isn’t easy to go through all that, and when you stack depression onto the rest of it, you’re going to need all the help you can get. It’s OK to reach out for help.
Even though it’s normal, it’s important to keep your doctor informed of the symptoms you are experiencing, especially if you begin to feel severely depressed. If you notice any of the following signs, go see your doctor and let her know what’s going on:
- Thoughts of harming yourself
- Thoughts of harming the baby
- Extreme difficulty with concentrating
- Feeling guilty, worthless, hopeless, or helpless
- Losing interest in activities you enjoy
- Constant empty, sad feelings
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
As trite as it sounds, morning sickness will pass in a few weeks. In most cases, the feelings of depression will pass with it. Even though it seems like forever now, it will pass quickly. Still, if you are feeling depressed, make your doctor aware of it.
Have you experienced feelings of depression because of morning sickness? How are you coping with it?
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