What effect does depression have on pregnancy?

Depression has been linked to several adverse health problems, and these can be especially harmful during pregnancy as they can harm both the mother and the unborn child. Depression can lead to loss of appetite and weight loss or self-medication through overeating, tobacco or drugs and/or alcohol. Depressed women may also skip prenatal visits. In sum, if you're depressed enough to have it affect your health, it will also affect the health of your child. The good news is that if you recognize it early enough and get treatment, most babies show no noticeable effects.

Unfortunately, most women suffer in silence. They assume they're just supposed to pull up their bootstraps, move on, and be strong. And by the time they actually say that they're feeling depressed, they're really far down the road and suffering from significant distress. That's important to talk about how you're feeling - to people close to you or to your doctor or midwife.

Depression can have multiple effects on pregnancy. Women who are depressed may not take as good care of themselves when they are pregnant, and this may increase the risk of premature delivery or having a baby with low birth weight. Babies of depressed mothers also tend to be more withdrawn and more agitated.

Depression can affect your ability to care for yourself during pregnancy and to care for yourself and your baby after giving birth. Depression in pregnant women is associated with low weight gain, alcohol and substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections, all of which can harm mothers and babies. In addition, depression may make bonding with your baby difficult, thus possibly affecting your baby's overall development.