Depressive symptoms are usually of less intensity and duration than diagnosable depression. The boundary between diagnosable depression and depressive symptoms is sometimes unclear. Prevalence estimates of depression during pregnancy varies between 4 and 7.6 percent. The incidence of prenatal depression seems to be increased in the first trimester, suggesting that this is a time of maximum vulnerability to depression. However, depressive symptoms occur in 8 to 38 percent of pregnant women.
Sadness is a normal part of life.
Pregnancy has been depicted in the media as a time when women bloom and get rosy complexions. In my experience, both personally and professionally, this is often far from the truth. Pregnancy is a life-altering event and a prelude to one of life's largest and most intense undertakings. Women can be overwhelmed with the spectrum of physical changes taking place and the psychological adaptation necessary to accommodate pending lifestyle changes. Women need an extraordinary amount of support from partners, friends and family during pregnancy, as well as several months postpartum.