Many people consider going to psychotherapy before making important life decisions. But why is it so uncommon to join psychotherapy during the tremendous lifestyle change from being a woman to a mother?
Most don't realize the significance of how critical this can be to the well-being of mother and baby, both before and after pregnancy. Even though most perceive pregnancy as a joyful time filled with excitement, statistics from the Washington Post show that 15 to 20 percent of women face mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety during pregnancy.
It's very true that the anticipation of childbirth brings many positive emotions but it can also cause a woman to feel uncertain about a lot of things. She may feel divided between wanting a child and giving up her independence.
Let's face it. Independence is not an easy thing to give up. Motherhood may mean sacrificing a lot on her career, social life and even marriage. Psychotherapy can help expecting women to let go some of their stress and anxiety about becoming a parent. Furthermore, it can also help new moms speak out about stereotypical topics (when it comes to motherhood) such as fear and regret.
According to the March of Dimes, high levels of stress and depression can have an adverse impact on the development of the baby. It can also cause health problems for the mom such as high blood pressure or heart disease, and may, also increase the chances of having a premature baby.
Sadly in almost every society, seeking help from therapy is a taboo. It is seen as a disgrace since, apparently, it's shameful to go to therapy when in fact being pregnant is supposed to be the "happiest" phase of a woman's life.
According to Catherine Monk, a professor at the Columbia University, therapy should be included in the routine preventive care on a universal scale in order to eradicate this societal stigma. Her research shows that this stress and depression may very well be a way by which the risk of mental illness travels in families.
During their experiments with pregnant women, Monk and her colleagues discovered that highly stressed women's fetuses were seen to have a rapid heart rate as compared to those who were less stressful. Further different studies done on the same matter also proved that the inability to control simple things in life and to cope with them caused distress which is associated with alterations of DNA functioning in the placenta that can affect fetal development.
So, management of these stresses can be a huge improvement in such matters. Hence, psychotherapy should be encouraged in society for pregnant women especially.
