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NOTE: Opinions and advice provided on this website are based on the personal experience of the author, Stacy Quarty. Ms. Quarty in no way claims to be a professional source of medical, psychological or statistical information.

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Q. I am thirteen and-a-half weeks pregnant with my second child. During my first trimester I've been constantly tired and forgetful. I do not feel like doing or enjoying the things I used to. Now that I am in the beginning stages of the second trimester, some energy has come back, but I still don't enjoy the things I used to. I've heard some women never get back to themselves even after pregnancy. Some women have even claimed they used to keep such a nice house and care for themselves, but during and after pregnancy they changed forever. Is this true? And if so, why? Is there anything that can be done?
-Anonymous, New York

A. It is true that forgetfulness, fatigue and depression are common symptoms of pregnancy and may even carry over into the first year or so after the baby is born—known as Post Partum Depression (PPD). Levels of these symptoms vary from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy within the same woman.

I suspect that the cases you've heard of- women not being able to “get back to themselves-” are probably cases of untreated PPD. PPD is a very real and potentially damaging symptom of pregnancy and post-pregnancy and should not be ignored. Unfortunately, some people (even medical professionals) don't take it seriously enough and many women go untreated.

The first step is recognizing these symptoms and then making a plan to do something about it. Visit www.postpartum.net and www.postpartumNY.org for more detailed information.

Ultimately, you are the one in control of your body, your emotions and your life. Being properly informed and aware of PPD before the fact can be your biggest weapon against it.