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Milly King

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2021 CONNECTING WITH NATURE - ANTENATAL DEPRESSION



This week is Mental Health Awareness week & their focus this year is ‘Connecting with nature’.


In women’s health there are many monumental subjects to take a focus on with mental health, but one of the biggest is pregnancy. Post-natal de


pression (PND) is not talked about enough, but even less awareness is raised about Ante-natal depression.


33% of those with depression during pregnancy go on to experience PND, & 25% < 1 year after birth. (Burrell Education)


58% didn’t seek help


I want to look at it from an athletic mums perspective.


For a Pro-athlete choosing when to take pregnancy & maternity leave obviously has a huge impact. But amateur & recreational athletes, who either compete or use exercise for their mental health, can share in many of the mental health worries that come with this period:


  • Loss of identity, when you can no longer do something you are known for. Many sporty people have much of their own persona & sense of self tied up in being that person

  • Fear of body change, weight gain & injury/pain during & post pregnancy. Pregnancy comes with MANY musculoskeletal changes that come with potential for pain & changes to your body that will never be the same again. This then comes with the potential risk that you won’t return to being able to do things the way you did before.

  • Guilt. Feeling bad that you just don’t feel like exercising, even though you know it’s good for you & the baby, & that you feel bad because it’s great that you’re pregnant right?!

  • Loss of motivation. Either physical from fatigue, nausea, pain; or mental - when you no longer have a fitness goal/competition to work towards, it’s a lot easier to skip a workout!

  • Loss of social interaction. When you can’t exercise with your normal friendship groups because the level may be too high or unsuitable sport- eg contact sports, or certain types of cycling

  • Feeling isolated. Not only can you not exercise with our normal group, but societal norms mean you “can’t” tell anyone why for the first 12 weeks - as 1 in 4 early pregnancies can result in miscarriage, it’s generally accepted that you don’t tell anyone about your pregnancy until 12 weeks, so you have to keep making excuses (this can increase the stigma around miscarriages & the depths of isolation felt in these circumstances.)



As I mentioned earlier, antenatal depression has risks for post natal depression, never mind having a negative impact on our pregnancy experience, therefore is it sooooo important to address.


Firstly TALK -

  • To your partner

  • To your midwife, at your booking appointment you will be asked about your mood. Don’t be afraid to say how you are feeling.

  • To a friend or family member. It doesn’t have to be the world & his wife but sharing how you are feeling with a like minded person, particularly a sporty person who will empathise may help & motivate you.

  • To a women's health physio about your physical worries during & after pregnancy, so you can be best prepared & still have fitness goals




Connecting with nature has many mental health benefits, as does exercise so combining the two in even just a relatively small way is a magic combination for lifting mood! Try to use as many of your senses as possible to really engage with the world around you-



- Walking - even if you don’t feel like a run, or bike ride, going out for a walk can still be great exercise whatever pace you feel up to. Turn a walk into a simple core workout:

  • Make sure you stand tall, as your posture can also have positive impact on how you feel,

  • BREATHE, deep 360 breathing can be calming & help with nausea & pain

  • Walk from your hips & swing your arms - keeps the glutes active & shoulders relaxed

- Gardening - staying at home & being active can still help keep you fit & get a dose of nature. Think again about your posture, particularly if lifting or doing repetitive movements



- Home workouts - when you’re feeling really rough, even just a 15-20 min gentle stretch or Pilates sequence can do you the world of good. Putting on a sounds of nature playlist has been

shown to still have some of the benefits of connecting with nature from your own home!


- Antenatal exercise classes - OK not necessarily connecting with nature, but I can’t stress how important this one is for connecting with PEOPLE & your body. You might not be able to do your usual routine but this is a great opportunity to do something new & meet new people going through the same experience.








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