If people talk more and more about postpartum depression, we talk less of prenatal depression. However 18% of expecting women suffer from light depression and between 7-12% suffer from mild to severe depression. For these women the guilt is the strongest as they are carrying life. They are supposed to be happy and glowing !
As far as I’m concerned, I really feel this guilt of not being happy and radiant since this pregnancy is the happy ending of 3 years of fighting. However, as I already had depression, I can’t miss the signs : the ever-present sadness or the lack of interest in my usual activities. This week, the most painful topic was to plan our summer vacation. It is always a tricky subject as we are far from our family and it is always a logistic puzzle where we always have to find some consensus.
I don’t know if I am in depression but I see enough symptoms not to ignore them.
As the things that used to recharge me (yoga, meditation, painting, journaling) don’t work anymore, I know I can’t deal with my mental health alone. I have to seek some help : contacting my psychiatrist, asking for help from my closest circle are the first things I have to do to not let the situation get worse.