Coping with Postpartum Depression
Written by: Olivia Wallace
Postpartum depression (PPD), or perinatal depression, occurs in varying degrees in approximately 20% of women in the year following giving birth. Plummeting levels of estrogen and progesterone, coupled with a new body, a new baby, fatigue, stress, etc., can contribute to an actual biochemical imbalance, resulting in postpartum depression. While many new moms experience the "baby blues," which are characterized by moodiness, fatigue, weepiness and feelings of sadness, other moms are impacted by a much more serious form of postpartum depression.
You may be suffering with postpartum depression if you have any of the following symptoms:
If you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately to start receiving treatment for postpartum depression, which will most likely include medication and therapy. Most women who suffer with postpartum depression had depression previously or during their pregnancy and may already have a treatment plan in place. If you have a family history of depression, you and your partner should be especially vigilant in watching for the signs of postpartum depression.
There are certain changes you can make to help alleviate or cope with a minor case of postpartum depression or the baby blues. Having a baby is an enormous adjustment both physically and emotionally, and it can be the greatest job and trial of your lifetime.
Remember to take the symptoms of postpartum depression seriously — seeking treatment will not only help you get better, but will also help your baby and your loved ones.
Source: http://www.pregnancyetc.com/coping-with-postpartum-depression.htm
Post Partum Depression
The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression.
Many new moms experience the baby blues — a mild, short-lived depression — for a few days or weeks after childbirth. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, about 10 percent of new moms experience postpartum depression — a more severe form of depression that can develop within the first six months after giving birth. For women with postpartum depression, feelings such as sadness, anxiety and restlessness can be so strong that they interfere with daily tasks. Rarely, a more extreme form of depression known as postpartum psychosis can develop.
Experiencing depression after childbirth isn't a character flaw or a weakness. Sometimes it's simply part of giving birth. If you're depressed, prompt treatment can help you manage your symptoms — and enjoy your new baby.
Depression can be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time. Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe. The degree of depression, which your doctor can determine, influences how you are treated.
Depression that occurs during pregnancy or within a year after delivery is called perinatal depression. The exact number of women with depression during this time is unknown. But researchers believe that depression is one of the most common complications during and after pregnancy. Often, the depression is not recognized or treated, because some normal pregnancy changes cause similar symptoms and are happening at the same time. Tiredness, problems sleeping, stronger emotional reactions, and changes in body weight may occur during pregnancy and after pregnancy. But these symptoms may also be signs of depression.
There may be a number of reasons why a woman gets depressed. Hormone changes or a stressful life event, such as a death in the family, can cause chemical changes in the brain that lead to depression. Depression is also an illness that runs in some families. Other times, it’s not clear what causes depression.
During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, these factors may increase a woman’s chance of depression:
After Pregnancy
Depression after pregnancy is called postpartum depression or peripartum depression. After pregnancy, hormonal changes in a woman's body may trigger symptoms of depression. During pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in a woman's body increases greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops back down to their normal non-pregnant levels. Researchers think the fast change in hormone levels may lead to depression, just as smaller changes in hormones can affect a woman's moods before she gets her menstrual period.
Occasionally, levels of thyroid hormones may also drop after giving birth. The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that helps to regulate your metabolism (how your body uses and stores energy from food). Low thyroid levels can cause symptoms of depression including depressed mood, decreased interest in things, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, and weight gain. A simple blood test can tell if this condition is causing a woman's depression. If so, thyroid medicine can be prescribed by a doctor.
Other factors that may contribute to postpartum depression include:
Any of these symptoms during and after pregnancy that last longer than two weeks are signs of depression:
After pregnancy, signs of depression may also include being afraid of hurting the baby or oneself and not having any interest in the baby.
The baby blues can happen in the days right after childbirth and normally go away within a few days to a week. A new mother can have sudden mood swings, sadness, crying spells, loss of appetite, sleeping problems, and feel irritable, restless, anxious, and lonely. Symptoms are not severe and treatment isn’t needed. But there are things you can do to feel better. Nap when the baby does. Ask for help from your spouse, family members, and friends. Join a support group of new moms or talk with other moms.
Postpartum depression can happen anytime within the first year after childbirth. A woman may have a number of symptoms such as sadness, lack of energy, trouble concentrating, anxiety, and feelings of guilt and worthlessness. The difference between postpartum depression and the baby blues is that postpartum depression often affects a woman’s well-being and keeps her from functioning well for a longer period of time. Postpartum depression needs to be treated by a doctor. Counseling, support groups, and medicines are things that can help.
Postpartum psychosis is rare. It occurs in 1 or 2 out of every 1000 births and usually begins in the first 6 weeks postpartum. Women who have bipolar disorder or another psychiatric problem called schizoaffective disorder have a higher risk for developing postpartum psychosis. Symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, sleep disturbances, and obsessive thoughts about the baby. A woman may have rapid mood swings, from depression to irritability to euphoria.
Some women don’t tell anyone about their symptoms because they feel embarrassed, ashamed, or guilty about feeling depressed when they are supposed to be happy. They worry that they will be viewed as unfit parents. Perinatal depression can happen to any woman. It does not mean you are a bad or “not together” mom. You and your baby don’t have to suffer. There is help.
There are different types of individual and group “talk therapies” that can help a woman with perinatal depression feel better and do better as a mom and as a person. Limited research suggests that many women with perinatal depression improve when treated with anti-depressant medicine. Your doctor can help you learn more about these options and decide which approach is best for you and your baby. The next section contains more detailed information about available treatments.
Speak to your doctor or midwife if you are having symptoms of depression while you are pregnant or after you deliver your baby. Your doctor or midwife can give you a questionnaire to test for depression and can also refer you to a mental health professional who specializes in treating depression.
Here are some other helpful tips:
There are two common types of treatment for depression.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk with their doctors about the advantages and risks of taking antidepressant medicines. Some women are concerned that taking these medicines may harm the baby. A mother’s depression can affect her baby’s development, so getting treatment is important for both mother and baby. The risks of taking medicine have to be weighed against the risks of depression. It is a decision that women need to discuss carefully with their doctors. Women who decide to take antidepressant medicines should talk to their doctors about which antidepressant medicines are safer to take while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Depression not only hurts the mother, but also affects her family. Some researchers have found that depression during pregnancy can raise the risk of delivering an underweight baby or a premature infant. Some women with depression have difficulty caring for themselves during pregnancy. They may have trouble eating and won’t gain enough weight during the pregnancy; have trouble sleeping; may miss prenatal visits; may not follow medical instructions; have a poor diet; or may use harmful substances, like tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs.
Postpartum depression can affect a mother’s ability to parent. She may lack energy, have trouble concentrating, be irritable, and not be able to meet her child’s needs for love and affection. As a result, she may feel guilty and lose confidence in herself as a mother, which can worsen the depression. Researchers believe that postpartum depression can affect the infant by causing delays in language development, problems with emotional bonding to others, behavioral problems, lower activity levels, sleep problems, and distress. It helps if the father or another caregiver can assist in meeting the needs of the baby and other children in the family while mom is depressed.
All children deserve the chance to have a healthy mom. All moms deserve the chance to enjoy their life and their children. Don’t suffer alone. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression during pregnancy or after having a baby, please tell a loved one and call you doctor or midwife right away.
You can find out more about depression during and after pregnancy by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) at 1-800-994-9662 or the following organizations.
National
Phone: (301) 496-9576
Internet Address: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
Phone: (800) 789-2647
Internet Address: http://www.mentalhealth.org/
American Psychological Association
Phone: (800) 374-2721
Internet Address: http://www.apa.org/
National Mental Health Association
Phone: (800) 969-NMHA
Internet Address: http://www.nmha.org/
Postpartum Education for Parents
Phone: (805) 564-3888
Internet Address: http://www.sbpep.org/
Postpartum Support International
Phone: (805) 967-7636
Internet Address: http://www.postpartum.net/
The depression during and after pregnancy FAQ has been reviewed by Catherine Roca, Chief, Women’s Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH).
April 2005
Source: http://www.4women.gov/FAQ/postpartum.htm
Resources:
Depression After Delivery: Assists women during and after pregnancy. Provides materials, phone contacts and information about local support groups.
Maternal and Child Health Library,
PPD Hope Information Center, Family Mental Health Foundation. Provides information and a help line.
Depression During and After Pregnancy, a resource for women, their families and friends, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/188_15755.asp
http://www.webmd.com/depression/postpartum-depression
http://www.babycenter.com/0_postpartum-depression_227.bc?Ad=com.bc.common.AdInfo%401d3fe96b
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546
