Can baby blues occur before childbirth?

Mother-to-be must be familiar with the term syndrome baby blues right? This is a mood disorder that occurs after childbirth. It is estimated that nearly 70-80% of women who give birth, have experienced this condition. However, some women claim to experience it baby blues earlier, that is, during pregnancy. Actually, can you baby blues happened before childbirth?

Can the baby blues happen before childbirth?

Syndrome baby blues is a mood disorder that affects women after childbirth. This condition usually occurs on the third day to a week after delivery.

Mothers with this condition will feel sad, anxious, irritable, and worried. All of these symptoms can last for 3-4 days.

Although it generally occurs after childbirth, not all women feel it at the same time. Some of them may have symptoms baby blues earlier, that is, before childbirth.

This condition is better known as pre-baby blues or antepartum depression (antepartum depression).

Why do baby blues occur during pregnancy?

According to the American Pregnancy Association, the cause is certain baby blues not known for sure. However, health experts believe that this condition is closely related to the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and after childbirth.

During pregnancy, the hormones estrogen and progesterone will increase in number. However, the levels will decrease after the baby is born.

The rise and fall of this hormone is likely to affect chemical processes in the brain, which can lead to depression.

Baby blues After childbirth, it can also be triggered by physical changes in pregnant women and daily routines, such as fatigue and lack of sleep.

Meanwhile, baby blues before childbirth is most likely to occur in women who are experiencing pregnancy for the first time. This first pregnancy can trigger feelings of excessive fear and anxiety about the labor process that will be faced later.

In addition, there are several other factors that can increase the risk baby blues during pregnancy, including:

Having a bad relationship with a partner resulting in a lack of social and emotional support for the mother during pregnancy.
Have experienced domestic violence so that her life feels uncomfortable and depressed.

Resolve baby blues prenatal

Either during pregnancy or after childbirth , baby blues can have a negative impact on the health of the mother and baby. For that, this condition must be handled appropriately.

Several treatments are usually recommended to overcome baby blues , includes:

Learn to calm down with breathing exercises and meditation.
Balance with adequate rest, consumption of nutritious foods, and fun physical activities, such as sports, gardening, and others.
Increase self-knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth to reduce fear and anxiety about childbirth.
Attend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to promote positive thoughts and a healthier lifestyle.

In mild cases, the methods mentioned above will most likely help overcome baby blues prenatal. This method takes precedence over the use of drugs that can have side effects.

If your symptoms are severe enough, your doctor may consider certain antidepressants that are safe to take while pregnant.