Postnatal Depression Treatment
How do I know if I have postnatal depression and not the baby blues?
Postnatal depression and depression during pregnancy is common. After giving birth, there is a dramatic change in the hormones in your body. This change frequently causes low mood and tearfulness. This is to be expected and happens to most women. It doesn’t usually last longer than 10 days.
Postnatal depression refers to feelings of being low, hopeless and gaining little pleasure from doing things you once enjoyed that have been consistently present for two weeks or more.
What causes postnatal depression and depression during pregnancy?
The multitude of changes in your body during pregnancy includes significant changes to your brain. The change in brain chemistry, together with other factors, make mental health problems more common now than any other time in a woman’s life. Depression and anxiety during pregnancy or after birth affect as many as 1 in 4 women (Howard et al, 2018).
There are other factors that increase the likelihood of emotional difficulties at this time. Causes of depression and anxiety before and after pregnancy include;
Not being satisfied with the quality or amount of support from your partner or family
Previous history of mental health issues
Difficulty adjusting to the role of motherhood
Financial difficulties.
%
Of women experience emotional problems during or after pregnancy
Contact us so we can help you.
How can I improve my emotional health?
Feeling supported by the people around you is really important. Spend some time talking with your partner and family about what will and won’t be helpful to you during pregnancy, over the course of the delivery and in the days, weeks and months after the birth.
Shift your attention from unrealistic expectations about being a perfect mother and aim instead to be good enough. If there has been difficulty bonding at first, there is no reason why bonding with your child cannot occur at a later stage.
Research shows that spending time anticipating how you will adjust to your new or different role and identity has a positive impact on mental health.
The usual basics of course: eating well, light exercise if possible, sleeping as best you can, delegating chores where possible.
You can read more about preparing for pregnancy in a mentally healthy way in
How do I know if I should seek professional support?
Answering “yes” to both the following questions indicates that you may have postnatal depression. If you answer yes to both, it’s highly recommended to seek an assessment from a mental health professional to see if antenatal or postnatal depression treatment is needed.
During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
During the past month, have you often been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things?
Treatments that are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
There are a number of psychological treatments used in the treatment of postnatal depression and depression during pregnancy. The most widely advocated postpartum depression treatment is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).
In most cases, psychological treatment alone is enough to help you manage the symptoms of postnatal depression or depression during pregnancy.
In some instances, medication might be necessary. Our psychologists work closely with family medicine doctors and psychiatrists, to ensure effective communication in such cases. Rest assured there are some antidepressant medications that are safe to take when pregnant or breastfeeding.
“My psychologist is a true blessing to the community in Dubai and I would recommend her to any patients seeking treatment for mental health concerns.”
“My psychologist is at the top of her game – I can highly recommend.”
Emotional Health in Pregnancy Services
We provide emotional support for the mother and/or father in the antenatal and postnatal periods. We routinely address:
Depression during pregnancy
Anxiety during pregnancy
Postnatal depression
Postnatal anxiety
PTSD during pregnancy and Postnatal PTSD
Birth trauma
Fear of childbirth (tokophobia)
Assistance in bonding with the new baby
Support for the father
Support for the couple during pregnancy and in the first year (and beyond!).
Our team is experienced in delivering psychological treatments recommended by international guidelines in responding to parents’ mental health (NICE Guidelines, UK) and can deliver treatment in English, Arabic and French.
+971 (0) 4 4403844
Appointments
Unit 203, 2nd Floor, Building 49
Dubai Healthcare City, right next door to City Hospital
Get In Touch
Let us know if you have any questions about our services or would like to book an appointment with one of our team.
