Pregnancy and babies require adequate maternal mental health for well-being

Motherhood is a desire shared by thousands of women and, often, even though it is a very romanticized situation, it is a period with several changes that affect the quality of mothers’ mental health and they must be prepared.

Maternal mental health is a term used to indicate the well-being of a pregnant woman, a woman who has recently given birth or who has been a mother for some time and needs this alignment of mind to feel good about herself and the people around her, also being able to carry out the obligations imposed by daily life.

Women prepare for transformations after discovering they are pregnant. However, it is not always possible to prevent everything, especially emotions and mental disorders, which can get out of control.

One of the most common sensations is anxiety due to uncertainty, insecurity, expectation and responsibility, involved in the act of not only generating a life, but taking care to provide safe growth with adequate education.

Mothers may still have to deal with depressive feelings, such as postpartum depression (PPD). The Ministry of Health establishes that this is a profound sadness, accompanied by the lack of hope and despair that arise shortly after birth. The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) estimates that approximately 26.3% of Brazilian women have the condition, representing one in four.

Sleep deprivation, lack of support from partner and family, inadequate diet, sedentary lifestyle, depression, anxiety, stress or other mental disorders and drug addiction increase this probability, leaving women restless and exhausted. , worried and disinterested in activities or people they liked, showing a tendency to gain or lose a lot of weight, sleep a lot or little, have suicidal thoughts and even a desire to harm the baby, such as not breastfeeding him.

The situation profoundly affects the bond between mother and child, meaning that, in the future, the child will have aspects of his social and cognitive development compromised by this low level of affection in his first months of life.

The effects tend to last two weeks or more and, to avoid worsening, it is important to seek professional help to start treatment, usually using a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy.

The pediatrician needs to be aware of the thousand days of the child’s evolution, from the moment of planning or discovering the pregnancy, until the age of two. It is interesting to see this dimension and the lack of this knowledge causes several errors.

It is essential to understand that PPD is not a sign of weakness or weakness and, during this delicate and dedicated phase, women must receive support from their partner and family, focusing on a healthy life, through nutrition and physical activity. , avoiding caffeine, isolation and maintaining a good night’s sleep, as well as quality time to take care of yourself. This way, it will be possible to enjoy the phase with greater lightness and health.