Monthly Archives: February 2010

Pregnant and Depressed – What to Do?

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When you first find out you are pregnant it can be a rush of emotions, from excitement to nervousness to fear.  All are very normal emotions that you can experience when you first find out, but there is one emotion that many women feel that isn’t talked about much – so what happens when you are pregnant and depressed?

First the pregnancy blues is actually quite common.  With the rush of hormones and the changes that are taking place in your body and your life it’s very normal to get a bit down.  It’s only when things get worse such as sleep problems, crying all the time, lack of interest in actives and feelings of hopelessness where the issue becomes more serious.

So many women have heard of postnatal depression but not of prenatal depression and are often too embarrassed to ask for help.  Especially when all of those around you keep congratulating you and expect this to be a joyous time for you.

So if you are feeling depressed first try and determine the level of sadness that you feel.  Some degree of the pregnancy blues is perfectly normal due to the rush of hormones around your body, but if you are crying constantly and it is interfering in your normal life it might be time to visit a doctor or your ob-gyn.

Mild to moderate symptoms can be treated quite easily, but if your symptoms are severe then y ou might be referred to a mental health professional.

There are some things that you can do at home to help improve your mood if things are not too bad.  They include:

  • Eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest. 
  • Exercising – while this may be the last thing you feel like doing, exercise actually reduces the hormone cortisol which is linked to depression.
  • Keep your expectations realistic – during the nine months that you are pregnant your body will be changing and you won’t be able to do many of the things that you used to.
  • Keep in contact with friends and family.  It’s proven that being around others will help lift your mood.

Having a Baby Video – What to Expect

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If you are like most expectant mothers, the thought of labour and delivery can be frightening. And while watching someone have a baby on video isn’t quite the same as experiencing it for yourself it can give you some ideas on what to expect.

Here are some videos on childbirth that you can watch to get some understanding of what to expect:

In this first video you can see what happens during childbirth for a number of women. You can learn about each of the stages of labor and delivery.

In this computer generated animation you can see how the baby will move through the vaginal canal and out via a normal vaginal delivery.

And here is another computer animation video this time of a cesarean birth (c-section).

Viewing video’s like these can give you a better understanding of what to expect when the big day arrives.

Having a Baby at 45 – What are the Risks?

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Whether your pregnancy was planned or a surprise – or you are still thinking about having one, getting pregnant later in life does come with some increased risks.  But it’s not all bad!  This article will look at some of the risks and also the pleasures of having a baby at 45.

First let me assure you that 45 is NOT too old to have a baby.  If your body is still ovulating and fertile then it’s possible to carry a healthy and happy child full term.

Fertility is the major concern for older mom’s since the bodies chances of conceiving fall dramatically each year after the age of 35.  There are also increased risks of miscarriage, premature births and the baby having birth defects such as Down Syndrome.

If you choose to get genetic testing done, you also need to consider how you will feel about the results if they are positive for various defects and what you plan to do in that situation.

The mother’s health is also at a higher risk with gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia being more common in older mothers.

But that doesn’t mean those things will happen, just that you are at a higher risk for them.  By keeping in close contact with your health providers throughout the pregnancy you can minimize or manage some of these risks.

Usually older parents are more able to cope both financially and emotionally with having children later in life and know what to expect, especially if they have done it before and already have a family. 

Of course bringing a new baby into the mix if your other children are already grown up can be challenging, but hey, new siblings are always a challenge anyway.

You will need to be aware that you’ll be much older at most of your child’s big life moments such as their 21st, wedding and perhaps even the birth of their own children. 

Today more and more women are having babies later in life so it’s more socially acceptable now that it used to be.  It’s not uncommon to hear of women in the mid and late 40′s becoming parents today and many times you might even hear of women in their 50′s giving birth as they have not reached menopause yet.