What are symptoms of depression?
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, any of these symptoms during and after pregnancy that last longer than two weeks are signs of depression:
- Feeling sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed
- Crying a lot
- Feeling restless or irritable
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Having no energy or motivation
- Eating too little or too much
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Trouble focusing, remembering, or making decisions
- Feeling worthless and guilty
- Having headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations (the heart beating fast and feeling like it is skipping beats), or hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing)
- Withdrawal from friends and family After pregnancy, signs of depression may also include being afraid of hurting the baby or oneself and not having any interest in the baby.
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