Mental Health

Depression and anxiety in pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a stressful time and can lead to problems with your mental health.

Some people can get depression or anxiety for the first time during pregnancy.

If you've had depression or anxiety before getting pregnant, sometimes your symptoms may come back when you're pregnant.

Find out more about anxiety in pregnancy and depression in pregnancy.

Things you can do to help with your mental health

Do

eat a healthy balanced diet
talk about your feelings to a friend, family member, midwife or doctor
try to make time to regularly do something you enjoy
try to stay active as regular exercise in pregnancy helps boost mood and improves sleep
sign up for antenatal classes - these are a good place to get information, gain confidence and meet other people in a similar situation to you
be honest with your midwife, GP or any other healthcare professional caring for you about how you really feel - they're there to support you

Speak to your maternity unit or GP if:

you're worried about your mental health

Important

Get urgent help

Support is available if you or someone you know are having a mental health crisis or emergency, no matter what you're going through.

Find out where to get urgent help for mental health

Mental health treatments in pregnancy

Depression and anxiety in pregnancy can often be helped with a talking therapy, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Sometimes you may also be offered a medicine, like antidepressants.

If you need medicine, you'll be offered the safest type for you and your baby at the lowest dose that helps.

Important

If you are already taking any prescribed medicine when you find out you are pregnant, then you should tell your doctor or specialist as soon as possible. Do not stop taking the medicine until you have spoken to them.

Find out more

Antidepressants during pregnancy and breastfeeding (Mind)

If you already have a mental health condition

You should be referred to your local perinatal mental health service if you're pregnant and you have a long-term mental health condition, such as:

These services provide specialist mental health support for people during and after their pregnancy.

You should be offered regular appointments with a midwife with experience in helping people with your type of condition.

Find out more

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
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