Overcoming Baby Blues : A Comprehensive Guide to Perinatal Depression

A practical guide to the depression suffered by many women both during pregnancy and after the baby is born, with advice on identifying the symptoms and seeking the right help, for both women and their partners

Pregnant women are expected to glow, and new mothers are expected to bask in the delight of their baby. But for some women, this is a time of unsettling mood shifts and uncertainty. One in 10 women experience clinical depression either during pregnancy or in the postnatal period, while the majority of new mothers face the "blues," anxiety, and other emotional changes. This book shares intimate stories of mothers' experiences with depression and other mood problems during pregnancy and their baby's first year. The stories shine with wisdom, humor, and fortitude. Also included are research-based guidelines on assessing moods, causes of perinatal depression, and effective management strategies. Safety of medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding is covered, as are suggestions for adapting diet and lifestyle to reduce symptoms, and advice for partners.

Professor Gordon Parker is a psychiatry professor and a renowned researcher and expert on mood disorders. Kerrie Eyers is a psychologist. Parker and Eyers are editors of Journeys with the Black Dog and several other books on depression. Professor Philip Boyce is a psychiatry professor and an international expert on postnatal depression.