More Pregnancy Questions – How is depression treated?

How is depression treated?

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, there are two common types of treatment for depression.

• Talk therapy. This involves talking to a therapist, psychologist, or social worker to learn to change how depression makes one think, feel, and act
  
• Medicine. Your doctor can give your spouse an antidepressant medicine to help her. These medicines can help relieve the symptoms of depression.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be encouraged to talk with their doctors about the advantages and risks of taking antidepressant medicines. Some women are often concerned that taking these medicines may harm the baby. A mother’s depression is also known to affect her baby’s development, so getting treatment is important for both mother and baby.

The risks of taking medicine have to be carefully weighed against the risks of depression. It is a decision that women need to discuss  with their doctors. Women who decide to take antidepressant medicines should talk to their doctors about which antidepressant medicines are safer to take while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Also See:

·         What causes depression?

·         What are symptoms of depression?

·        What effects can untreated depression  have? 

•   What is the difference between “baby blues,”postpartum  depression, and postpartum psychosis?