SHARES
Now, why such a depressing topic to begin with! This is one topic that kept cropping up in a large part of discussions in social media, something we don’t talk about – Postpartum Depression. Do you know what it is? Read on to find out.
Being pregnant brings with it a roller coaster of emotions and complications/changes to a woman’s body – physically and mentally. When the baby is out in this world, we tend to think the toughest part is over, but that is not how things turn out to be! That is not what is waiting around the corner for women who have just given birth!!
Yes, it does take time for the feeling to sink in for a woman that she has indeed become a mother to a lovely little darling. Now top this with sleepless nights, feeding sessions that never seem to end, sore nipples, and for some, the pressure they face when they are unable to feed their child. All this coupled with changes in the hormonal levels – oestrogen and progesterone that drop drastically once the baby is out can result in PostPartum Depression (PPD).
Wikipedia defines PPD as a clinical depression whose onset is seen 2 weeks to a month after delivery. This ailment can be mild to severe in women depending on their background and health condition. Family support also plays a major role in the manifestation of PPD in a new mother.
Baby Blues and PPD, are they the same?
Baby blues, seen in almost all women who have just delivered, is said to last only a few days to a week or two after the birth of the baby. Some of the symptoms may be mood swings, sadness, anxiety, crying, irritability, lack of concentration, appetite problems, having trouble sleeping. Now, these are similar to the symptoms of PPD which are as follows:
Feeling low
Feeling overwhelmed almost often
Low or zero sex drive
Fatigue and exhaustion
Low self-confidence
Sleeplessness
Anxiety
Paranoia
No interest in being social
PPD can be mistaken for baby blues at first, however; the symptoms become increasingly intense and would last longer than a couple of weeks. Ultimately, this tends to interfere with the mother’s ability to take care of her and also take care of other everyday tasks. Symptoms of PPD usually start developing within the first few weeks after delivery but could begin later as well — up to six months after birth.
PPD – major or minor-develops in about 20% of parturient. Available data indicate that unipolar major depression may be slightly more prevalent during the puerperium than among women in the general population.
Postpartum depression symptoms may include:
Severe mood swings – feeling depressed most of the time
Crying often or in excess
Mother might face difficulty in bonding with baby
Being unsocial
Change in eating habits – poor appetite or eating too much than usual
Change in sleeping habits – insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
Exhaustion or fatigue
Lack of interest in activities that the mother used to enjoy earlier
Highly irritable/ anger
A fear that creeps in telling she is not being a good mother
Feeling worthless, guilty
Inability to concentrate or make decisions
Extreme anxiety/ panic attacks
Thoughts of harming self or baby
Thoughts of death or suicide that keep recurring
*If left untreated, postpartum depression can last several months or even longer.
In very rare cases, something even more serious can be seen in new mothers. They could hallucinate; try to harm themselves or the baby. At such a stage, immediate treatment is necessary, most often at the hospital. Mild to moderate depression is first treated by psychotherapy. If the condition doesn’t get any better, antidepressants need to be prescribed. In extreme cases, antipsychotics are prescribed.
Meet the doctor, but when?
Most mothers tend to feel depressed after the birth of the baby, however, they do feel embarrassed or reluctant accept that they actually are. Self-awareness is of great importance, if the mother experiences any symptoms as mentioned above, either of PPD or baby blues, it is better to fix an appointment with the doctor as early as possible.
The family members, as well as the mother, have to keep track of the symptoms if the following seems to occur, then a call to the doctor is required immediately.
Symptoms do not recede in about 2 weeks
Symptoms start getting worse
Difficulty in caring for the baby
Daily tasks seem difficult to accomplish
Thoughts of self-harm and harm to baby
The manifestation of PPD is much more of significance and something that needs to be attended to, especially in women who have a history of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and if it has been seen in her immediate family/blood relatives.
Post-partum depression can happen after any number of pregnancies – not necessarily the first. It can happen with each subsequent pregnancy. At times it can be mild to severe in occurrence resulting in psychosis in extreme cases. There have been reports of the murder of newborns by their mother in different parts of the world – this is one extreme example of Post-Partum Psychosis.
A supportive and understanding family is essential in treating PPD. Medical help is equally essential – the new mother might not agree to the fact that she may be suffering from PPD so if you have a friend or someone in the family exhibiting such symptoms, and think medical intervention is essential, please do talk it out with them.
Risk factors or scenarios (where medical intervention is necessary)
Previous history of depression in a preceding pregnancy
Previous history of depression (not during pregnancy)
Bipolar disorder
Family history of depression or bipolar disorder
Lactation problems
Unwanted or unplanned pregnancy
Weak or a support system that is absent
Financial difficulties
Relationship issues
All said and done, PPD is not limited to the mother alone, it is said to affect the new dad as well – sleeplessness, fatigue, stress can be mild manifestations of PPD in the male.
Post-partum depression is generally under recognised and undertreated. Major depression during pregnancy or after delivery can have devastating consequences for affected women, their children, and families. Among new mothers, one of the most significant contributions to their mortality rate is suicide, which is most common among women with mental illness. If left untreated, up to 25% of the women with PPD will be depressed one year later. As the duration of depression increases so too does the number of sequelae and their severity. In addition, maternal depression during the first weeks and months after delivery can lead to insecure attachment and later behavioural problems such as ADHD in the child.
Ask for help, there is no shame or harm in doing that.
References:
Mayoclinic
Webmd
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008
Mental Health America
Koren, 2012; Palladino, 2011
Williams Obstetrics
by Hridya Anand
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya Anand.
