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Mental Health
Childbearing is a special time in a woman's life — a time of changes, both physical and emotional. During pregnancy, a woman’s body changes, her hormones are in flux, and she has to come to terms with the joys and responsibilities of a new life growing inside of her. After childbirth, she still has to deal with her own changes, but now has to take care of her baby's needs as well.
While childbearing is usually marked with celebration, families and the broader community may forget that this can be a stressful time for a mother perhaps overwhelmed with all the sudden changes and stressors in her life. Sometimes, the experience can be so disorganized and exhausting that the woman becomes too sad, anxious or overwhelmed to get back to her normal life. This can be a sign of postpartum depression.
Recent research has shown that women are susceptible to psychiatric disorders during and after pregnancy. The most common are major depression, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders and psychosis.
Women also experience other mental conditions related to reproductive life experiences:
- Emotional Disorders in Pregnancy
- Postpartum Blues
- Emotional Disorders Postpartum
- Infertility
- Pregnancy Loss
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) or Premenstrual Dysphonic Disorder (PMDD)
- Menopause
See Reproductive Mental Health for services and resources offered
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