Postpartum depression

The birth of your baby would certainly have been a wonderful moment for you. The long wait during pregnancy and the labor stress that you went through has finally paid off and you have your bundle of joy cuddled in your arms. But after your baby is born and the initial celebrations fade, you may begin to feel sad and anxious suddenly. In a mild form this feeling on post childbirth is quite normal and is known as Postpartum Blues or baby blues and almost always go away after a few days.

But sometimes, these feelings of unexplained fear, sorrow and anxiety may continue for a longer period of time and affect your quality of life. This problem is known as Postpartum Depression. It can happen even after your second or third delivery, not just the first and may require counseling and treatment.

Baby blues:
The milder form of Postpartum Depression
After the birth of your child, you may suddenly feel disturbed to find that you feel sad, anxious, angry and lonely for no reason at all. You may undergo the following emotions:
feeling weak
feeling lonely
unexplained irritability and anger, sometimes towards your own baby
crying without reason
poor appetite and sleep
feelings of uncertainty about being a good mother
These emotions called baby blues, are temporary and will disappear within a few hours or days and require no treatment.


Postpartum depression
This is a more serious and intense version of baby blues requiring counseling and treatment without which it can become worse, last longer and affect the quality of life.
This condition makes it difficult to even mange and cope with day-to-day activities since the feelings of distress, anxiety and sorrow are stronger.

The risk of Postpartum Depression increases in the following situations:
Lack of support from the male partner or family members.
Prior incidence/s of depression due to other causes.
Previous incidence of Postpartum Depression.
If Postpartum Depression runs in her family.
Other forms of physical or emotional stresses like the loss of a loved one, or moving to unfamiliar surroundings.
Identifying postpartum depression
Baby blues do not go away and last for a longer period of time.
Feelings of distress, anxiety and sorrow are stronger.
Feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, or loneliness make it difficult to even mange and cope with day to day activities.
Unexplained irritability and anger, sometimes towards your own baby.
Lack of interest or extreme interest and concern for the baby.
Changes in appetite and sleep patterns.
Lack of interest in recreational activities or entertainment.
Fear and anxiety of being alone.
Baseless fear that you may harm the baby. This often brings on more guilt that you are not being a good mother and can worsen depression.
Suicidal thoughts.



Physical changes after delivery
A woman’s body goes through rapid hormonal changes in the hours after delivery. A severe drop in the levels of the hormones, Estrogen and Progesterone can set off depression and mood swings for many days. Most women adjust to these sudden changes and get out of it after a few days, signaling the end of baby blues. But for a few others, the depression and mood swings last much longer and affect their daily activities. The Thyroid gland may also secrete very low levels of hormones resulting in anxiety, depression, guilt, despair, tiredness, appetite changes and sleeplessness.


Giving birth is quite a tiring process and with women who give birth by cesarean section, recovery takes much longer. After delivery, most women also lack rest. The constant visits by relatives and friends and the baby’s feeding and care put together deprive her of proper rest and sleep. This can also trigger Postpartum Depression.

There are other factors that contribute to Postpartum Depression such as:
emotional factors
inadequate family support and
certain imagined or false ideals about motherhood


Emotional factors
A woman’s capability to deal with certain situations plays an important role in Postpartum Depression. Some of the common emotional disturbances that new mothers feel are:
If the pregnancy was unplanned, the burden of caring for the newborn will weigh heavily on her mind.
A newborn in the house will mean unexpected changes in the usual routine at work and home. Some mothers may not be properly prepared for this.
A baby born with a birth defect can leave a mother devastated.
A sense of suddenly being forced with the responsibility of raising a child can cause a lot of apprehension for a woman with inadequate financial backing.
If the mother herself has had a bad childhood, past memories may kindle feelings of pain and despair and she may develop feelings of regret for bringing on a new life into this world.
Some mothers may worry about the loss of freedom or being less attractive post childbirth.



Family support
A lack in proper familial support can cause Postpartum Depression. The lack of support can take many forms
If her male partner is not very supportive or if she feels neglected by him.
If her partner is not around to help in housework or child care.
Women who live away from their families are more likely to get Postpartum Depression due to lack of support.
A woman who is unable to breastfeed her baby well may develop feelings of guilt that she is depriving her baby of its basic need.
Taking care of yourself
If you have just given birth and feel some of the symptoms of postpartum depression, here are some measures that you can follow to take care of yourself and your baby. Most important of all, is for you to have a straightforward talk with your doctor if you feel you are not getting any relief and the depression is only getting worse. With your doctor beside you help is at hand—do not worry. If necessary your doctor may also refer you to other doctors specializing in treating depression. These specialists may prescribe medication and also counsel you.

Ideals about motherhood
Women sometimes can develop Postpartum Depression because of the guilt that they are not being the so-called ‘perfect mothers’. Many women believe that motherhood and caring for the baby comes naturally and they ought to know good mothering. But, this is far from true.

Motherhood skills need to be learnt and developed just like any other skill. Some infants are easier to care for. Others are fussy, have frequent stomach disturbances and are not easy to comfort. A new mother may find it hard to adjust to this. Some preventive measures you can take
Try to get sufficient rest and sleep.
Do not over exert yourself.
Seek the support of family and friends.
Seek your partner’s help for doing housework and while feeding the baby. Express your difficulties and feelings to him. Just talking to your partner can give you a lot of relief.
Exercise regularly. Go for a walk with friends or relatives. Even mild exercises can go a long way in cheering you up.


Some preventive measures you can take
Try to get sufficient rest and sleep.
Do not over exert yourself.
Seek the support of family and friends.
Seek your partner’s help for doing housework and while feeding the baby. Express your difficulties and feelings to him. Just talking to your partner can give you a lot of relief.
Exercise regularly. Go for a walk with friends or relatives. Even mild exercises can go a long way in cheering you up.
Know About Pregnancy
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