Archive for May, 2008
Science and Mythology of Depression and Pregnancy
When considering both depression and pregnancy, it is important to separate science from mythology. One pervasive parcel of mythology extant today is that women who have depression can negate it by getting pregnant. Popular myth dictates that the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy will somehow alter brain chemistry, lifting pregnant women out of depression. In the past, doctors even espoused this link between depression and pregnancy as true. Today, science has largely disproved this.
A number of tests conducted in Massachusetts about the link between depression and pregnancy concluded that pregnancy actually has no effect on clinical depression whatsoever: getting pregnant does not alter brain chemistry in any way that might alleviate depression - and even worse, getting pregnant often has the opposite effect: it can actually worsen depression.
What make the depression worse are the restrictions pregnancy imposes. This link between depression and pregnancy is clear. For instance, being pregnant often imposes limited mobility and limited eating choices. Additionally, being pregnant often restricts medicinal choices.
Many antidepressants have been flagged by the FDA - and, as such, are no longer available to pregnant women, as they have the potential to cause birth defects. This link between depression and pregnancy means that a woman could go through a serious bout of depression during pregnancy without any medicinal form of recourse.
Another potential problem that pregnancy brings is postpartum depression. Even for those who aren’t depressed, this can still be a problem, as approximately 10% of all pregnant women experience it. Postpartum depression doesn’t occur during the pregnancy, but after it, as the name suggests; and is usually triggered by hormonal changes that occur during and after birth. Most who suffer from it also have the same symptoms of those with clinical depression. Additionally, postpartum depression is generally treated in the same manner as standard forms of depression. Effective methods generally focus on behavioral restructuring, antidepressant medication, and counseling.
More information about depression and risks of anti-depressant drugs can be found at this authors website
Understanding Depression
Tags: Depression, Depression and Pregnancy, Antidepressent Medications, Depression Facts
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May 31 2008 | Pregnancy | No Comments »
So you want to be a mum? Every time you see a little baby in a mother’s arms you
desire it even more. I am going to ask some hard questions here for those who want
to be mums: Why do you want to be a mum? Is it because it will be fun? Is it because
you can show your motherhood to others? Is it because you want to keep your
partner?
Is it because of your loneliness? Is it because you are curious? Is it because you can
get so many benefits in this country? Is it because you want to leave your surname
going after you die? If you had to go on an interview in order to be authorised to be
a mother, do you think you’d pass?
Motherhood is a full-time job with long hours and overtime. It is not a task for just
anyone, and I could even go on to say that it is one of the most important jobs there
is in the whole world. You are bringing another human being to life - can you feel
the weight? And if that’s not heavy enough, consider that you’ll be making yourself
responsible for him for the rest of your life.
Whoever he becomes, he’ll still be your son. Whatever she does, she’ll still be your
daughter, and that is a very heavy weight to carry! You will be directly responsible
for teaching your child everything that he needs to know in order to succeed. If you
haven’t learned all that yourself yet, teaching your child is going to be extremely
tricky!
You may think that since there are so many mums, it must be self-explanatory. But
think again: how many mums actually succeed in raising their children the right
way? How many succeed in bringing their children up to be the best they can be? If
all mums thoughtfully considered their responsibilities, our society would definitely
not be the way it is today. Instead, we have children killing other children, kids
taking illegal drugs, teenagers getting pregnant, and the list goes on.
Some adults have a hard time finding their place in the world just because of the
way they were brought up themselves. Now this should mean something!
Many women want to be mums, but can they really be good ones? You don’t have to
go to college to qualify for the motherhood task. But somehow you must come to
understand what you’re getting yourself into. You cannot bear your children and
just let them be raised by TV, Internet, school, their friends, etc. Once you bring
them into this world, it is up to you to take care of them.
If the reasons you’re having children are among those listed at the beginning of this
article, then you’re having them for the wrong reasons and you (and most certainly
your children!) will be greatly disappointed. You see, if you could not fulfil those
needs on your own, how do you think a little child can fulfil them for you?
Isn’t it unfair to expect that your little baby will keep your partner at home? Or, that
your baby will take your loneliness away or, make your life more fun? How can he
possibly do that? If there’s one thing you should learn before becoming a mother, it
is this: motherhood is about the children - not about you!
Cristiane Cardoso is a columnist at http://www.uckg.org/women and on the ‘Folha
Universal’ national newspaper in Brazil, and also ‘Free Woman‘ presenter on
http://www.libertyradio.co.uk every Thursday 10pm Uk time.
Tags: mother, mum, children, child, pregnant, pregnancy, mother-to-be.
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May 30 2008 | Pregnancy | No Comments »
Finding out that you are pregnant is usually a very emotional experience - you are either delighted, or terrified, or somewhere in between. However you felt when hearing that you were pregnant, the chances are that you were not surprised to be a bit emotional about it. Such things are to be “expected”. What does surprise many women -and their partners- on the other hand is the ongoing emotional changes which may occur during the course of the pregnancy. This is perfectly normal, but understanding what to expect, and why, will help both you and your partner get the most enjoyment out of this amazing experience.
Hormones
During your pregnancy your body is going to undergo some tremendous changes in hormone levels. Mood swings are very common because of these hormone changes - it is not something you have much control over. Nearly all pregnant women are prone to emotional ups and downs. Common “side effects” include bouts of feeling unsure and panicky, extreme reactions to minor things and even crying.
The important thing to realize is that all of this is perfectly normal, and has nothing to do with you as a person. As soon as you and your partner accept this, the low points become so much easier to deal with. Some women suffer from terrible guilt or feelings of inadequacy because of these mood swings, which just makes it harder for your “moods” to pass. There is no need for you to feel guilty at all! Accept that you will feel down from time to time, make sure your partner knows this, and look forward to the “up” part of the mood swings.
Self Image
As your body shape and size changes during your pregnancy, you may begin to feel very strange about yourself. At times you may even feel that you are trapped in someone else’s body, or worry that you are getting “fat” and unattractive. We live in a very image conscious world, so these concerns are natural. However, pregnant women are in fact extremely sensuous, and there is no more potent symbol of womanhood than being pregnant. You should feel proud of the obvious signs of your fertility! You should remember, too, that pregnancy gives you some advantages from a looks point of view. The increased blood flow normally improves your skin and gives you that healthy “glow” that pregnant women have.
Your image of yourself while you are pregnant is very important. If you feel good about being pregnant, you will probably look good too.
Anxiety about the baby
It is normal for pregnant couples, but especially the mother, to spend a lot of time worrying about the health of their baby: What if there is something wrong? Will he or she be “normal”? Keeping up to date with all your checkups and visits to your health care provider will help calm you. Making sure that you follow a decent diet plan and keep yourself physically well will also be reassuring.
If this is your first pregnancy you will probably feel a bit of anxiety about how good a parent you will be, and whether or not you will cope with the strain of caring for your newborn child. Again, this is perfectly normal - most women worry about accidentally harming the baby or not being able to deal with the day to day baby care. Having a good support network (partner and family) in place before the birth will go a long way towards making you feel confident that you can do it, so make sure you discuss your fears and worries with them. Try and learn as much as you can about caring for a newborn baby, and speak to other mothers that you know. Having this knowledge will make you feel more equipped to “do the right things” when the time comes.
You may find yourself having bad dreams or nightmares about your baby. This is just your subconscious dealing with the fears you are probably trying hard not to think about while awake. It’s important to remember that no matter how disturbing these dreams are, they are not reality. Try and think of them as your subconscious mind blowing off steam.
Concerns about Labor
Almost all women worry about labor and how they will handle it. Fear about the pain and worries about whether or not you will embarrass yourself are common. You will find yourself thinking of this more and more as your pregnancy comes closer to full term. Learning about labor and childbirth, and practicing your exercises and breathing techniques will go a long way towards making you feel confidant about the birth process. You will be more aware of what is going on around you, and you will likely feel less pain too.
Final Words
Although it might sound like your pregnancy is going to be nothing but a long string of emotional crises, this is not the case for most women. You will have various ups and downs, but for the most part this will be perfectly manageable, especially if you have a supportive and involved partner. Just remember that all the emotions you experience are felt by most pregnant women, they are perfectly normal and you shouldn’t allow yourself to be stressed by them. Pregnancy is a wonderful experience, so don’t allow normal emotional changes to ruin that experience for you!
Finally, remember that one of the main tasks for you during the nine months of your pregnancy is to mentally prepare yourself for motherhood. Your future planning and lifestyle are going to have to include this new human being. For most people, these are big changes. You might even find yourself having second thoughts at some stage during your pregnancy. Having these thoughts does not make you a poor mother, or a bad person. If you are to successfully prepare yourself for becoming a mother (or father), you and your partner need to be completely honest about these feelings. Very often just talking abut your concerns will make them easier to deal with.
http://www.pregnancy-calendars.net
Tags: pregnancy, pregnancy problems
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May 29 2008 | Pregnancy | No Comments »
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