Wednesday 18 January 2012 | By: The One Woman

POST 6: MENTAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY

(27 WEEKS)
Baby blues
So here I am again, fatter and tardy as ever but that leaves for an epically long post doesn't it.
Speaking of long posts, it's been a long road and I found that after trying to understand what pregnancy is and how to do it right, I hadn't addressed just how much I've been through these past 7 months. I haven't left any room to look after my mental health at all because I didn't think that I mattered anymore. It's not easy and I'm sure I am certainly not alone in feeling like this. It got to a point over Christmas where I decided to do something about the way I’ve been treated and the way I feel so that I can enjoy the last few months of my pregnancy and not impinge this negativity on to my son.
Seeking medical help
Firstly I spoke to my midwife about how I felt and that I thought I might need to talk to someone professional. She referred me to a consultant to make sure that what I have been through doesn't lead to *post natal depression. The consultant isn't the person who will treat me, they assessed me just gage what level of help I need. This will then lead to a tailor made plan for therapy and life classes, and you know what? It’s free and it's helpful so I can't sniff at that. So it all starts with talking to your midwife as soon as possible and not being scared to.
(please see link below)
http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/pregnancycareplanner/Pages/Mental%20health%20problems.aspx
Alternative therapies
I joined a guided meditation and aromatherapy group with some close friends near my city and go there weekly and have a healing session monthly. I am not opposed to turning my brain off for 1 hour a week in a calm environment and that’s what meditation brings to me. No thoughts of baby or life or anything, bliss in fact. The groups are generally free with a suggested donation so it's not going to break the bank for you and is SO worth it. I also checked reviews and talked to friends who were experienced with meditation and connected to groups in my area. 
It was also suggested by my midwife that I make sure I schedule an hour a day for me. This may sound over the top but I make sure in that I write in my diary a time for that one hour to do something nice for me. So I may soak in a steamy lavender bath and perch my laptop on the loo to watch Dexter whilst I prune up, go for a walk in one of the parks with a flask of tea and my camera. You get the idea, just me, myself and I and some time out. I have come to realize that one hour a day is vital and needed.
(please see link below for further information regarding alternative therapies) 
http://www.thinkbaby.co.uk/pregnancy-health-and-safety/alternative-therapies-in-pregnancy/2111.html

(please see link below for NHS recommended alternatives to medication) 
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/957.aspx?categoryid=73&subcategoryid=107
Bonding
Now this is an experiment but I did this for me. I went for a 4D scan to connect with my son a little bit, I felt that I had started to drift from my special time being pregnant and thought that this might help. I feel closer to him now I know what he looks like and what he was getting up to in there. I now sit and imagine him, I play music to him and talk to him. It personally really helped me and I’d recommend it to anyone in my situation.
I used http://www.meetyourbaby.com/ The package included at 45 minute scan, 8 pictures and a DVD to take home and watch. (packages range from £65 to £170)



Footnotes
*
-For pre natal depression discussions visit: 
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/06June/Pages/Depressionduringpregnancy.aspx
-For post natal depression discussions visit: 

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