We have come a long way in understanding the mental health impact of welcoming a new baby into the world. But until recently, most of our attention has tilted toward the parent giving birth, possibly overlooking the other.
While hormonal and physical changes can set pregnant parents up for mood shifts that can lead to depression, supporting parents are at risk, too. In fact, new research shows supporting parents face nearly the same risks for perinatal depression or postpartum depression as their pregnant partners. Parents of surrogate-born children can also experience perinatal depression, as can adoptive parents.
Here's what all parents need to know about depression risks during pregnancy and after becoming a parent, as well as how to nurture each other along the way.
