Pregnancy Blues

it's been a while since i blogged about any books, mostly because i haven't been reading as much lately.

a couple of weeks ago, i read Pregnancy Blues: What every woman needs to know about depression during pregnancy by Shaila Misri, MD. over the last few years, postpartum depression has garnered more attention as a common and serious problem. unfortunately, there hasn't been much attention given to the subject of depression during pregnancy.

Misri begins with conceptions and misconceptions about womanhood, pregnancy, and motherhood and works her way through risks, causes, and types of depression, explaining treatment options and the risks of different types of treatment as well as the risks of untreated depression during pregnancy.

"One reason for my writing this book is to let every woman know that if she is feeling unbearably sad, guilty, or hopeless at any point during her pregnancy, these are not normal feelings, and she needs to address them as surely and swiftly as she would a rise in blood pressure or unusual staining or cramping. Just as she wouldn't endanger herself or her baby by waiting until her high blood pressure turned into preeclampsia or the cramping led to preterm delivery, she must not wait until her symptoms of depression become so severe that they threaten not only her own well-being but also that of the child she is carrying. . . psychological and emotional stress can ultimately be just as dangerous to both mother and child as any physical complication."

the hard thing about a book like this, is those who most need it, pregnant women suffering from depression, are not likely to read it. after all, it's hard to read anything while depressed. and unfortunately, the chapter that talks about the risks of untreated depression is towards the end of the book. i think that women struggling with depression while pregnant will tend towards fear of treatment because of the risks to the unborn baby, so waiting so long to get to the risks of not treating depression means that a lot of readers may not make it far enough into the book to find out why they should seek treatment.

overall though, this is a very informative and well-written book that i hope gains a large audience.