I am pregnant with my first child and I was hit by the most terrible depression during my first trimester. I did a little research and found out that prenatal depression is actually very common. I think that if this issue were discussed more it would be a lot better for pregnant women who suffer from depression. I was pleased to see this issue getting some publicity in the mainstream press. I think that if I had heard of this problem before I would have found the depression easier to bear.

The first trimester can be very isolating. It’s a time when many women don’t feel comfortable talking about their pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. This isolation and the general lack of awareness newly pregnant women have of this problem, can combine to really aggravate the depression that sometimes accompanies hormonal fluctuations.

It seems to me that the public has become much more aware of postnatal depression in the last few years. This increased awareness has really helped to reduce the stigma (and feelings of guilt) associated with this illness. I hope that one day I will be able to say the same for prenatal depression.

The link between depression and prematurity doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve coped with crippling depression since my early teens, and when I was pregnant with my daughter, I struggled to make it to 35 weeks. I wasn’t on medication at the time, so I can back up the researchers’ assertion that meds don’t necessarily contribute to preterm birth.