Perinatal Depression

Q. What is perinatal depression?

A. Perinatal Depression is depression that can occur anytime during pregnancy and up to one year after delivery. Feelings of depression or sadness may cause women to feel confused and alone. By learning to recognize and understand perinatal depression, a woman can seek support from her family, and seek medical assistance. Husbands, partners, friends and family members can also help. Often they recognize that there is a problem even before the woman herself.

Q. What causes perinatal depression?

A. The exact cause of perinatal depression is unknown. Some factors that may contribute to perinatal depression are:

Changes in hormone levels
A difficult pregnancy
A difficult birth
Medical problems in either the mother or baby
Lack of sleep
Feeling alone
Loss of freedom
Sudden changes in routines
Personal or family history of depression
Prior experience with perinatal depression
High levels of stress

Q. Who is at risk for perinatal depression?

A. Perinatal depression can affect any woman who:

Is pregnant
Has recently had a baby
Has ended a pregnancy or miscarried
Has stopped breast feeding
Women of any age, race or economic background may be at risk.

Q. What are the symptoms of perinatal depression?

A. Symptoms may appear during pregnancy, after birth, or within the first year after giving birth. Common symptoms are:

Feeling anxious
Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
Changes in appetite
Feelings of irritability, anger or nervousness
Feeling exhausted
Not enjoying life as much as in the past
Lack of interest in friends and family
Lack of interest in sex
Feeling guilt or worthless
Feeling hopeless
Uncontrollable crying
Feelings of being a bad mother
Trouble concentrating
Low energy
Thoughts of harming the baby or harming herself
Most women experience a brief period of blues after having a baby. Very few women experience extreme symptoms.

Q. Approximately how many women are affected in Connecticut?

A. Although we do not have a specific count, as information about this issue is not routinely collected, it is estimated to be 10-15% of women have perinatal depression.

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