Massage: Studies suggest that massage therapy helps manage depression and anxiety. Overall the findings show that massage therapy effectively reduces a pregnant women's stress hormones, stressful mood states, leg and back pain and lessens obstetric and post-natal complications (which improves neonatal outcomes).
Stress relief: Programs to reduce stress include deep relaxation regimens that focus on breathing, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation. Other moms combat stress with yoga, aroma therapy, hypnosis or music therapy.
Have you suffered from prenatal depression? What helped you feel better? Were you able to handle your condition drug-free?
Medical references:
- T. Field, Ph.D.; M.A. Diego; M. Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.; S. Schanberg; and C. Kuhn. (June 2004)
"Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine, in Florida." Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 115-122.
