NEW STUDY SHOWS SUICIDE IS A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR ONTARIO WOMEN.

Yesterday my husband was cruising Facebook when he came across an article about a study on suicide during pregnancy, being a doulas husband he sent it to me right away. Since then the articles have been flooding my news feed! 

The study was published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows that suicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and newly postpartum women. They also discovered that these women died more often by violent means. 

Last month I published a series of posts where women talked about their struggle with postpartum depression but I think we forget too often about those who are suffering while still pregnant. 

In Ontario, 4.4% of deaths during pregnancy and 6% of deaths in the first year postpartum are suicides and some believe that up to 20% of women experience depression during pregnancy. 

Symptoms of depression may include:
*difficulty concentrating
*feeling sad most of the time
*disruptions in your normal sleep patern
*not finding joy in things you usually enjoy
*feeling helpless or worthless
*thoughts of death or suicide
*anxiety
*change in eating habits

If you notice any of these changes or you feel that something isn't right please speak with your care provider right away.