Beyond the Baby Blues: Anxiety and Depression During and After Pregnancy

Emotional and candid, this personal pregnancy story delves into Starr’s battle with anxiety and depression during and after pregnancy. Interwoven throughout are the clinical insights of Amy Wenzel, a psychologist specializing in perinatal care, who goes beyond the much-discussed topic of postpartum mood disorders to discuss how prenatal anxiety and depression—two lesser-known conditions—can afflict women. In poignant prose, Starr discusses how her behaviors and thoughts shifted from her first pregnancy to her second. She invites the reader in to experience her descent into prenatal anxiety, rife with unreasonable fears and depressive lows: “As my baby grew, and his delivery grew closer, things got worse. My numbness spread. My husband and I drifted.” Starr’s open-mic approach also provides generous space for five other women to share their experiences. Erica, a postpartum sufferer, recalls, “I drove over the bridge between my home and my job and pictured myself driving off the edge into the river below.” The contributors offer reassuring advice, such as “Don’t feel guilty for having thoughts that carousel through your brain that have no business being there.” This work promises to be a valuable refuge for expectant mothers and their families confronting the specter of prenatal and postpartum depression. (Jan.)