Abuse during pregnancy is more common than most people think. About one in five women may suffer abuse when they are pregnant. Abuse can start during pregnancy or get worse.

What Is Abuse?

Abuse includes physical hurting, like slapping, hitting, kicking, and punching. But it also can include verbal hurting, like being called names and being accused of doing things you have not done. Abuse can also include being forced to have sex against your wishes or being made to do things sexually you do not want to do. Abuse can include threats and control. The abuser may try to make you behave in a certain way and may say something bad will happen to you if you don’t. The abuser may try to keep you from seeing your family and friends. He or she may make you explain in detail what you do each day, where you go, and whom you see and talk to.

Hormones, body changes, and new emotions make you vulnerable to emotional ups and downs during and after pregnancy. Learn to spot the signs of depression so you can take care of you and your baby.

What is depression?

Depression can be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time.

First Trimester

The emotional changes that occur in the first trimester from extreme happiness to extreme sadness, some of it depending on how you view your pregnancy. Don’t be surprised , it’s natural with the hormonal changes that are occurring. Try to get plenty of sleep, since being tired can cause additional stress and more emotional upheaval.