How can acupuncture help me with postnatal and antenatal depression?
When you’re expecting a baby, it’s very easy to become completely absorbed in the health of the life growing inside you and forget that your baby’s welfare depends entirely on you also being fit and well physically and emotionally.
Yet pregnancy can be challenging for many couples – especially when it comes to mental health.
Recent studies estimate that a fifth of all new mums and as many as one in 20 new dads will experience some form of postnatal or antenatal depression – a worryingly high number for something that is one of the most debilitating mental health issues anyone faces in life.
Just to be clear here, when I talk about ‘new’ mums and dads, I’m referring to the new pregnancy or birth, not specifically about couples or individuals going through their first pregnancy.
Pregnancy-related depression is a serious issue and one that requires a supportive care approach, empathy and reassurance.
Given I’ve already mentioned dads you’ll doubtless have worked out for yourself that postnatal or antenatal depression doesn’t just affect the mother, but both parents.
So, what is antenatal or postnatal depression, how can you recognise when you might be experiencing it, and how can acupuncture help support new or expectant parents to manage the condition and its symptoms?
Antenatal depression, the baby blues, and postnatal depression – they’re not the same thing!
It’s really important to be able to distinguish between the types of emotional responses that pregnancy and childbirth can bring.
Although people use the terms antenatal depression, the baby blues and postnatal depression interchangeably they are all very distinct from each other.
Antenatal depression
Antenatal depression can begin at any point during pregnancy and may continue for a short – but indeterminate – period following the birth and around 1 in 7 women will experience persistent symptoms of depression during pregnancy.
Sometimes it’s a condition that starts slowly and develops over time, but it’s also not uncommon for symptoms to be severe and sudden. I’ve listed the main symptoms a bit further down. If you are experiencing any of them, it’s a good idea to talk to someone about it.
Because women often perceive an unspoken pressure to be overjoyed about their pregnancy, they can also feel shame, confusion, guilt or stress when they find their feelings are very different – and the hormonal changes that happen during this period heighten the impact of the symptoms.
Baby blues
The baby blues are very common following a birth, mainly affect women only and are characterised by a low mood, feeling teary or prone to sudden crying for no obvious reason, and feeling irritable or touchy.
The baby blues are unsettling – most women expect to feel a sense of great happiness at the arrival of a new addition to the family – and are thought to affect around one in eight women They last no more than two weeks, so if you experience depressive symptoms beyond that it’s worth having a chat with your GP.
Postnatal depression
This can be severe, frightening and lonely and even when treated can last up to a year after giving birth.
Many women who have experienced it report feeling that they are unworthy of motherhood or that they are in some way ‘abnormal’ for being unable to feel the way they expected to about their baby.
Whilst not as prevalent as the baby blues, postnatal depression is nevertheless relatively common. Antenatal depression is less common, but still represents a very challenging period for a mum-to-be at a time that social convention tells her should be joyous.
Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with clinical care to help manage symptoms and build resilience.
What are the symptoms of postnatal and antenatal depression?
There are a number of symptoms that are associated with pregnancy-related depression. Some of the key ones include:
- A loss of energy or increased episodes of sleeplessness or disturbed sleep
- Less interest in your own welfare or appearance, or in your pregnancy.
- A sense of emotional detachment accompanied by sudden teary, angry or irritable outbursts
- A loss of libido
- Poor concentration
- Experiencing unexplained or persistent anxiety about birth and parenthood
- A sense of despair about the future
- Overwhelming feelings of sadness and hopelessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in doing things you would normally enjoy
- Irrational anxiety
- Loss of confidence
- Significant changes to appetite
- Uncertainty about the pregnancy
- Suicidal thoughts.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms during or after your pregnancy, it’s important to speak to your GP so you receive the right care.
Similarly, if you have an existing mental health condition for which you are receiving treatment, it’s especially important that you make an appointment to see your GP or specialist care provider.
Even if you feel any medication you may be taking is having a negative impact on your emotional health, you should not stop taking it unless advised by your doctor to do so.
How can acupuncture help me to manage postnatal or antenatal depression?
Acupuncture is brilliant at helping to reduce stress and anxiety, which helps the subconscious to relax and enter what’s often called its ‘rest and digest’ mode. This helps to improve the quality of the rest we get and the efficiency and effectiveness of our natural organ function.
The subconscious is our natural protector, identifying potential threat and prompting the body to take action to avoid it. This is what’s known as ‘fight or flight’ and being stuck in this mode can have a damaging effect of our physical and mental health.
Acupuncture’s use of superfine needles painlessly inserted into the skin at strategic points on the body stimulates natural healing energy, encouraging the usually dominant parasympathetic system to re-take control from the elevated state of alert that the sympathetic system triggers.
This allows us to feel calmer and more rational about the challenges we face and to become more confident and capable of managing the symptoms of postnatal or antenatal depression.
I’m often asked if acupuncture is safe for pregnant ladies, and the short answer is that as long as it is performed by a qualified and registered acupuncturist then it is a perfectly safe treatment in pregnancy.
However, it’s important that you tell your acupuncturist that you are pregnant as there are certain acupuncture points we would not needle and certain types of treatment we would not offer to our mums-to-be.
Some self-help tips
- Be kind to yourself: everyone reacts differently to pregnancy and the prospect of starting a family. Manage your own expectations and understand that it’s all right to feel nervous or uncertain
- Make time for yourself: pregnancy should be a part of your day to day life, not a prison sentence. Take the time to do things you enjoy and allow yourself to relax and spend time with friends and family
- Don’t try to cope on your own: Many of us are conditioned to put on a brave face when the chips are down, but talking through how you’re feeling with a trusted friend, family member or your GP can really help you to manage your emotions and be kind to yourself. Getting practical support can reduce the burden of daily chores and tasks.
- Join a mother and baby group: You’ll be amazed how meeting people facing the same challenges and decisions can help you to understand and find acceptance of how you’re feeling. Your midwife, health visitor or local authority should have details of groups nearby.
- Make healthy lifestyle choices: Eating well and taking regular exercise helps to calm the mind, ease stress and enjoy better sleep – all things that are essential if you feel overwhelmed by your pregnancy or a new baby.
If you’d like to find out more about acupuncture for postnatal or antenatal depression, please do get in touch for an informal and confidential chat.