The entire childbearing year -- including pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum -- is a time of tremendous change, psychologically and physically. Women need support to take care of themselves, emotionally and physically, through this important life-changing event.
Pregnancy can make you vulnerable to emotional swings, caused not only by hormones and physical change, but psychological change, too. Bouts of depression may increase during pregnancy. Much depends on what the emotional meaning of the pregnancy is for you, how you deal with your body image during this period, the state of your support system, and of course, how well you take care of yourself physically and emotionally, throughout the course of your pregnancy. Use these six tricks to help you during this monumental year.
Watch Video: Postpartum Depression: You're Not Alone1. Take a look inside. The psychological task of pregnancy is giving birth to a new identity as mother and woman. Finding a way to mother that includes things you want for yourself can help resolve depression in pregnancy, yielding a happier mother postpartum. Ask yourself these questions: How prepared are you for motherhood? What kind of parent do you think you will be? What are you looking forward to?
