Women who suffer from depression during pregnancy can use alternative medicine to treat their emotional disturbances. Indeed, the practice of yogawould offer a gentle alternative for these expectant mothers.
Researchers at Brown University conducted a study of 34 participants who had depression during their pregnancy. For 10 weeks, they took prenatal yoga classes and had to do exercises every day at home. At the end of the study, the 34 volunteers had less signs of depression and the more they had practiced yoga, the more they had regained emotional stability.
Yoga improves the health of moms and babies
Promising conclusions for women affected by this syndrome, all the more so when we know that taking antidepressants in the third trimester of pregnancy can present risks of prematurity for the baby.
Unlike the baby blues, depression during pregnancy is a serious disorder. Some of the most common symptoms are a feeling of persistent fatigue, lack of enthusiasm, motivation and zest for life, mood swings, insomnia and lack of interest in pregnancy. “These results are encouraging, given that pregnant women with depression are often reluctant to take medication and psychotherapy,” said Cynthia Battle, professor of psychiatry at Alpert Medical School at Brown University and lead author of the study. “This program of yoga prenatal care was not accompanied by any psychological support specifically designed to manage depression. It’s really about developing a wider range of options suitable for women who have depressive symptoms during pregnancy, ”concludes the researcher.
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