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Bigger than the Baby Blues - Signs of Postpartum Depression
The joy of bringing
a child into the world, a baby to love and cherish,
may be the plan but to 50-80% of new mothers suffering
from a form of depression known as the Baby Blues that
dream is not the reality.
While not serious, the baby blues can
leave a new mother despondent, tired, and subject to
emotional swings and loss of appetite. The effects of
giving birth, hormone changes and the lifestyle changes
of having a newborn (not sleeping, being indoors a lot,
responsibilities of caring for a baby) can lead to a
bout of the baby blues. Baby blues are usually short
lived and go away without treatment.
What is of more concern are the less
frequent cases where baby blues develop into something
longer lived and more severe: postpartum depression.
While Brooke Shields (along with the
help of Oprah Winfrey) has put a famous face on this
dreadful disorder, thousands of women who face the pain
and anxiety of postpartum depression fight a private
battle of wills between their knowledge of what motherhood
should be and their detached feelings, hopelessness
and even suicide.
What causes postpartum (also known as
postnatal) depression and what are the signs?
No precise cause has been found that
causes a happy, healthy woman to loose her sense of
self, desire and joy for life when she should be enjoying
the experience of motherhood.
While many women suffer side effects
from the temporary drain of estrogen hormones soon after
birth the effect of this estrogen loss may go even further
in women diagnosed with postpartum depression.
Other factors, such as financial stress,
relationship and communication problems or a history
of depression in the family may contribute to postpartum
depression.
Identifying postpartum depression is
crucial since it IS treatable. Often it will become
the responsibility of the partner or other friends and
family to watch new mothers for signs of depression.
Postpartum depression can occur anytime after birth
- even up to a year after.
The National Women's Health Information
center lists these signs to watch for in mothers who
may be suffering more than the baby blues:
- Feeling restless or irritable
- Feeling sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed
- Crying a lot
- Having no energy or motivation
- Eating too little or too much
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Trouble focusing, remembering, or
making decisions
- Feeling worthless and guilty
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Withdrawal from friends and family
Having headaches, chest pains, heart
palpitations (the heart beating fast and feeling like
it is skipping beats), or hyperventilation (fast and
shallow breathing)
After pregnancy, signs of depression
may also include being afraid of hurting the baby or
oneself and not having any interest in the baby.
It is very important for mothers to
have a strong support system in place since the demands
of caring for an infant, especially when other children
are present, can lead to stress and burnout. All most
mothers need is loving care and someone to talk to.
For those suffering with depression, it is even more
crucial.
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