Sometimes your GP may do a blood test to make sure that there is not a physical reason for the symptoms, such as an underactive thyroid or anaemia.
A study carried out into postnatal depression showed that only 1 in 4 women sought any help. As a result of this, many GPs now use a short questionnaire to help diagnose postnatal depression. This is called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and has 10 simple questions. Recently, some doctors have been using this scale during the pregnancy to try and find women who are more likely to become depressed after the birth.
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