While for some, pregnancy and parenthood can be an exciting and a profound time, it can also mean experiencing intense life changes. Many women experience what is known as the “baby blues”' after giving birth. However, there are several women who experience these feelings weeks after giving birth. Postpartum depression is a serious mental health problem that can include feelings of hopelessness, feeling detached or disconnected from their baby, extreme sadness, and several other symptoms. Some women feel as if they are not their child’s mother and isolate themselves from their family.
About 1 in 8 new mothers experience postpartum depression in the year after childbirth. There are several signs that can indicate that you may be experiencing more than just the “baby blues''. While the exact cause of postpartum depression is unknown, there are several factors that can contribute to someone developing PPD. major hormonal changes can trigger this diagnosis. For example, a significant drop in the hormones estrogen and progesterone can place a new mother at a higher risk of developing PPD. in addition, hormones produced by the thyroid gland can also drop and create high levels of fatigue, lethargy, and depression-like symptoms.
Differences between baby blues and Postpartum depression
It’s important to know the difference between the baby blues and postpartum depression to understand the warning signs and seek the appropriate care. Many women experience mood swings days after childbirth. Feeling sad or anxious, crying spells, trouble sleeping, or poor eating patterns can all be typical reactions after childbirth. However, if these symptoms do not go away or decrease a few days after giving birth, this is a strong indicator that we’re dealing with something more clinical. PPD tends to also be more severe in nature and can become dangerous without professional treatment. For example, mothers who do not seek medical help can become so detached from their child that they become resentful of their baby and fail to provide them with the proper care and support to help them properly attach and develop. Postpartum depression usually begins within the first month after childbirth, but can vary from mother to mother. If you are having trouble caring for yourself or your baby (i.e., eating, sleeping, bathing), you have thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, you experience depression that lasts more than 2 weeks, and or difficulties being productive you should seek help from a mental health professional, your pediatrician, or your midwife.
In addition to seeing a professional, what else can you do?
Join a support group with other mothers.
A support group can help build community and make you feel less alone and guilty for experiencing these feelings.
Take breaks
Whenever your baby is sleeping, try to take that time to catch up on sleep or engage in something you enjoy.
Confide in your partner, family, and or friends.
Keeping our experiences a secret can increase feelings of isolation.
Try not to make any major life changes right after giving birth.
Having a baby is already a stressor, additional life changes can create more stress and exacerbate the symptoms of postpartum depression.
What Kind of Treatments Work Best with PPD?
Interpersonal therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment modality for women with PPD. Many women experiencing depression report a discrepancy between the support they desire and the support they actually receive after giving birth. This lack of perceived support is more pronounced in women with PPD and is often projected towards their partners. Interpersonal therapy specifically targets this perceived lack of support systems and works on enhancing the mother’s interpersonal functioning.
In addition, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective with PPD. CBT treatment for women with PPD is often short term and involves identifying their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to motherhood, anxiety, and depression. The treatment focuses on challenging their thoughts and replacing them with more adaptive and effective ones. Paired with a mindfulness-based approach, new mothers can learn to manage their intrusive thoughts and decrease their tension and anxiety through meditation and deep breathing practices that focus on grounding.
Comments