JANUARY 08, 2007

Finished reading Pregnancy Blues and it was a god send. When I experienced the severe depression last time I was pregnant, I searched online trying to find information about depression and pregnancy but was disappointed by the lack of info I found. Most sites acknowledged that depression can occur in pregnancy but glossed over the subject with generic descriptions and a few suggestions on how to deal with it (eat well, exercise, etc), which was no help whatsoever. And not only did the lack of info make the depression more difficult, it also made me feel like a freak because it seemed like what I was going through was so rare that no one bothered to talk about it.

In reading this book, however, I discovered that depression during pregnancy is more common than people realize and that I'm far from being alone in suffering from it and that knowledge alone made the book worthwhile, but that was just the beginning of the enormous amount of info and support that the book offers. I didn't think anything would be able to help me come to terms with what happened during the last pregnancy or help quell my fears about getting pregnant again, but I feel infinitely better prepared and able to deal with the depression should it happen again and that kind of peace of mind makes a world of difference. As the old saying goes, knowledge is power, and even if I can't prevent pregnancy depression from occurring, I now know why it happens, what to expect from it, and that there are many options for treating it which is great good news since I just found out I'm pregnant again.

So if you're pregnant and suffering from depression or if you have a history of depression and are thinking of getting pregnant, this book is a great resource. The author is a reproductive psychiatrist who is extremely knowledgable about depression during pregnancy and all the ways in which it can be treated and she writes with a warmth and compassion you rarely find in medical books. She explains depression in and of itself and how pregnancy hormones factor into that, the kind of symptoms and their severity, gives an extensive list of treatment options ranging from therapy to meds or even hospitalization if necessary, and lists books and groups that help women with this problem.

But perhaps the greatest thing this book offers is hope, because when you are pregnant, depressed, and feel like you're losing your mind, hope can become totally nonexistent, so it's nice to have a compassionate, well written volume of precisely what you need most. Because sometimes just knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can't see it, is crucial to seeing you through and thank god for doctors like Dr. Shaila Misri who have dedicated their lives to not just curing the body, but the mind and soul as well.

listening: depeche mode . reading: --

walk: 40 minutes . weight lost: 9 pounds

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