Antenatal depression

It’s not uncommon for pregnant women to experience changes in emotions - you may feel moody or tearful or angry from time to time. However, if you feel that you are tired all the time, have lost interest in yourself or your pregnancy, always feel down or anxious or angry, or can’t sleep, then you may have antenatal depression.

Pregnancy is generally seen as a time of cheerfulness, fulfilment and joy. Perhaps because of this, depression during pregnancy can be difficult both for you and the people around you to accept and recognise.

Common concerns include:

• how you feel about going through such a major life-stage changing event
• how you view yourself
• the restrictions to your lifestyle that motherhood will place on you
• how your partner or family feel about the baby

Although these concerns are not uncommon, pregnancy depression, symptoms or worries should not be ignored. There are various antenatal depression treatments that can help if you are suffering during pregnancy.

If you think that you may be depressed, it is important that you talk either to your midwife or GP, so that they can help you.

You may find it helpful to look at the page Your feelings after birth and postnatal depression since depression during pregnancy has much in common with postnatal depression.

Further information

NCT's helpline offers practical and emotional support in all areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700.  We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth, labour and life with a new baby.

NICE publishes a booklet Mental health problems during pregnancy and after giving birth covering antenatal and postnatal depression.