22/09/2024
Antenatal and postnatal depression
Your risk of developing depression is higher during pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth. During pregnancy around 10 per cent of women experience depression. In the first three months after having a baby this increases to 16 per cent.
Depression which develops during pregnancy and after childbirth has a few different names:
Antenatal or prenatal depression – depression during pregnancy
Postnatal depression - depression in the year after childbirth
Perinatal depression – any time during pregnancy or in the year after childbirth
Around 80 per cent of women get the ‘baby blues’ in the first few days after childbirth. You might feel tearful or overwhelmed, but this will pass in a few days with care and support.
The baby blues happens because of changes in your hormones after your baby is born and doesn’t mean you’ll develop depression.
“It's okay to feel sad. It's okay to ask for help about what you're feeling, and for strategies to help you move through it.
