Physiological features of the female body are such that it is during pregnancy and the postpartum period that the changing hormonal background of a woman contributes to the appearance of sad thoughts and the development of depression. And if almost everyone heard about postpartum depression, few people have heard about depression during pregnancy.
What happens to the female body after conception?
In our minds for a long time and firmly rooted stereotype that during pregnancy there is an update of the female body, caused by hormonal changes, that all changes are for the woman only to benefit, adding to her health and transforming externally for the better. In addition, positive thoughts related to the expectation of a baby's birth, also contribute to a wonderful, peaceful mood.
At the same time, studies show that almost every fifth woman experiences depression in the pre-natal period. In this case, the circumstances that lead to the appearance of signs of depression may be different. For example, life circumstances can provoke depression: financial problems, complicated relationships with her husband, lack of own housing, etc. Very often bad moods are promoted by thoughts about their new, unknown status when the end of a certain way of life comes to an end. So, the woman understands that it is not so easy to lead a habitual way of life, traveling, meeting with friends, and in a career there is a certain "stagnation". Very often a woman starts to get uncomfortable thoughts about whether she chose the father correctly for her child, whether he will be enough for a future child, whether he will be able to provide all his needs financially enough with a loving and caring dad. Depression on such a background is not a rare occurrence. Very often at a reception with psychologists, these women tell, trying to explain their condition, as they, for example, meet old friends who are slim, fresh, carefree, and when they come home and look at themselves in the mirror, they start feeling sorry for themselves, and I I sit at home, fat, lonely, and this year's vacation broke, and nothing interesting happens in life ... And even realizing that these problems are not so significant to attach importance to them, sometimes a woman can fixate on such negative thoughts, and there and to give a hand to depression. In addition, you should not reject the hormonal factor as the cause of depression during pregnancy. Hormonal changes lead not only to changes in the functioning of internal organs, but also affect the nervous system.
But how can one distinguish a bad mood from the onset of depression as a medical diagnosis? It is worth pondering if anxious thoughts, pessimism do not release more than two weeks, there is apathy, sleep is disturbed. If a woman does not turn to these alarming symptoms, depression can last even after delivery, darkening the brightest moments of life, and the consequences of her in the postpartum period can be much more serious.
However, recently French scientists published the results of his many years of research, which showed how well the sensor system in the womb is developed in the child. And if sight and sense of smell have not shown signs of development, then the taste and hearing begins to develop in the fetus from the third month of pregnancy. Therefore, the child is so important to hear the mother's tender voice more often, even while still in the womb. At the same time, psychiatrists and psychologists have revealed another very important factor affecting the full development of the fetus - this is the emotional connection between the baby and his mother.
It was proved that the love with which a woman carries her child, those thoughts that are associated with his appearance and which she shares with her baby, have a huge impact on the development of the psyche of the fetus, as well as its cellular memory. It is in this period that the basic personal qualities of the child are laid, which will be maintained throughout the whole of his later life and will have an impact on it.
Canadian experts conducted a survey among 500 women, a third of whom said that during the entire period of pregnancy, they did not think much about their baby. It turned out that the weight of this third of babies at birth was less than the average. Further observations showed that children from this group are more prone to nervous disorders and disorders in the digestive system.
The ability of bad thoughts to influence the development of the fetus is explained by a purely physiological reason. During stress, the adrenal glands begin to actively produce catecholamines, which are so-called stress hormones. They help the body cope with stress. It is the influence of catecholamines on our body that explains heart palpitations, sweating, increased emotionality and excitability in the event of a stressful situation, which, nevertheless, help to overcome stress. During pregnancy, catecholamines penetrate the placental barrier to the fetus, thus forming a psychological background for the baby. That is why strong and profound experiences of the mother can have a negative impact on the child, which can affect his later life.
On the contrary, the joyful and positive thoughts of the mother, her feelings of happiness are also transmitted to the fetus, since the "hormones of joy" produced by our body - the endorphins also influence the baby. Frequent positive feelings experienced by a child in the womb of a mother are remembered by the fetus and may in the future affect the character of the future person.
And most importantly, remember that maternal love has a wonderful property, a property that can protect a child from exposure to harmful factors, even in the most extreme situations. Here she is, pregnancy, bad thoughts affect the child. Think only of the good!