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Easy Nine Months your pregnancy and newborn care guide |
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Postpartum depression
A new born coming into your life can bring a lot of joy and
happiness but sometimes it also brings with it depression. The female hormones estrogen
and progesterone rise during pregnancy and a sudden drop in these levels can
cause depression. Even a drop in the level of thyroid hormones could cause this
depression. Baby blues are different from PPD. It could be a very shameful
thing for a new mother to feel. But it should be detected and treated as it
could really lead to some harmful consequences.
The difference between baby blues and PPD
Baby blues are very often mistaken for PPD. But though baby
blues have symptoms very similar to PPD there is a major difference. While baby
blues are characterized by feeling of irritability, moodiness, lethargy,
weepiness PPD is a much more serious condition.
Symptoms of PPD - Lack of sleep - Feeling of guilt - Headaches and even panic attacks - Mood swings and irritability - Thoughts of harming the baby and yourself - Decreased appetite - Loss of energy
Women at a higher risk of postpartum depression
Women who have a past history of postpartum depression are at
a higher risk of getting it again. If the mother is facing some marital or
family problems she is more likely to face depression. An unexpected pregnancy
could also cause depression. The sudden change in her life, the adding up of
responsibilities and loss of own identity could also be a reason for
depression.
Remedies
Family and pier support is the biggest help that a mother
can get. Family should be aware of this problem and try and help the mother as
much as possible emotionally and physically. Antidepressants can also be given
to the mother after consulting a doctor. The mother can be taken to a
psychologist to make her get out of this problem. Psychotherapy can be really
helpful and effective. In fact concerns about taking antidepressants during breastfeeding
have made psychotherapy more popular.
