Postpartum Depression (PPD)
1 in 7 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers suffer from postpartum depression (PPD). [1]
What is Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum depression happens once your baby is born. This kind of depression is more that just the ‘baby blues.’ The baby blues is a term used for the temporary anxiety, fatigue, and depressive feelings that a woman may experience after she has a child. Baby blues is quite common. It usually improves in a couple of weeks without the need for outside intervention. PPD is a mood disorder involving a serious kind of depression. PPD manifests in the same way that depression does, but can also involve the following symptoms:
Thoughts of hurting your baby or yourself
Thinking you are incapable of looking after your baby
Withdrawing and isolating from family and friends
Anger
Frequent bouts of crying
Trouble feeling a bond with your baby, lack of interest in your baby
Extreme anxiety, worry, and sadness
If PPD is not treated, it can last from months to years after your child has been born. It affects your daily functioning – your sleeping and eating patterns, your emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
A child’s wellbeing is linked to their mother’s mental and physical health. Left untreated, PPD can eventually start to interfere with the wellbeing of your baby. Your child’s sleeping, eating, and behavioral patterns can be adversely affected. According to the Cleveland Clinic, PPD can also affect your baby in the following ways:
Underdeveloped social skills.
Learning differences.
You may not notice that your child is sick. Your baby’s health may be affected if your depression causes you to miss appointments with their pediatrician.
Risk for obesity or developmental disorders is higher.
You may be neglectful of your child.
You may not feel a bond with your baby.
What is Antepartum Depression?
Antepartum depression, or perinatal depression, is when a woman feels depression after having the baby, but also while she is pregnant. It can involve symptoms like sadness, irritability, fatigue, and anxiety. Other symptoms may include not taking the necessary prenatal care, engaging in risky behaviors during pregnancy, and not putting on enough weight. Those who suffer from antepartum depression experience difficulty functioning in their daily life. They may also struggle to take care of themselves and others.
Depression during pregnancy can be treated with therapy.
Am I At Risk for Antepartum or Postpartum Depression?
According to Postpartum Support International, there are certain factors that may put you at a higher risk for developing antepartum depression or PPD.
If you have diabetes
A thyroid imbalance
If you have been through fertility treatment
Complications in pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding
Marital tension
Financial duress
A recent major life event or upheaval
If your baby is in the Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)
If you do not have enough support in caring for your baby
If you are a mother of multiples
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Personal or family history of PPD, depression, or anxiety
Unintended pregnancy
Pregnancy, Birth, and Societal Expectations
Women may find it difficult to confide in someone about what they are going through or even to seek medical help for their depression. There are societal and cultural expectations about how a woman should feel while pregnant and also once she has had the baby. For a woman who is dealing with either pre- or postpartum depression, this can add to the pressure she is under. Women are expected to be joyfully pregnant and excited about their new baby. Once the baby is born, you are expected to be glowing, happy, and fulfilled. This idea of motherhood – bonding with the baby, effortlessly breastfeeding, singing lullabies, etc., is not possible for many new mothers. Even without depression, new motherhood can be a lonely, exhausting, frustrating experience.
How Can I Manage My Postpartum Depression?
There are various self-care practices you can do to help manage your symptoms.
Reach out for help and support. Find a trusted mental health professional to conduct therapy sessions with you. Along with the support of a therapist, it would be helpful to talk about how you feel with trusted family members and friends. Ask for help in managing your day to day. It is okay to ask for help with caring for your baby and household tasks. If you have other school-age children, get in touch with their mothers. Perhaps you could carpool the school drop off and pick up. You could schedule a set play date for your older child(ren) every week or every other week, which would give you a few hours’ time off.
You must have heard that you need to ‘sleep while the baby is sleeping’. While this is not always possible – there may be other children or chores you need to attend to – it is important to get as much quality rest as you can.
Eating right is essential to feeling good. For a lot of new mothers, a meal consists of your child’s leftovers. It is important to think about the kind of nutrition you are giving yourself as well.
Try to find some time here and there to do something you like. This could be going for a walk, reading a book, or watching an episode of a show you enjoy.
Reach out to your health care provider if your depressive symptoms:
Are still present after 2 weeks
Are intensifying
Make you want to harm your baby or yourself
Are interfering in your daily life
Are making it difficult to look after your baby
Recognize the Signs of Postpartum Depression in Someone
A person who is suffering from postpartum depression may have constant anxiety that something is wrong with their baby. They may not engage with their baby in any other way aside from doing what is necessary. You may find them withdrawn and joyless. They may cry often and without any apparent reason. There may be a noticeable change in their appearance – they seem unkempt, unbathed, or are not changing their clothes. There may be a lot of negativity in the way they talk about themselves, motherhood, or in general.
How to Support Your Partner When they are Struggling with Postpartum Depression
Talk with your partner and be in touch with them about how they are feeling. This will help you to be more aware of when they are having a particularly rough moment. Acknowledge how they feel and validate what they are going through. This will make them feel less alone and will reassure them that you are there for them and are on their side.
Advise your partner to get professional help, and help them find the mental health resources they need. Treatment such as depression therapy or talk therapy can help.
Help your partner with childcare tasks and household chores. It makes a big difference to a person’s psyche when they feel part of a team. Contributing to daily tasks will ensure your partner feels supported. They will feel less pressure about all that needs to be done. If you are unable to help on a given day, arrange for someone else to help your partner. This means that you will have to be open to asking for and accepting help from those close to you. Encourage your partner that it is okay to ask for help.
Learn as much as you can about pre- and postpartum depression. Being informed about what your partner is going through will help you help them.
Look after yourself too! The stress of managing a new baby, a household, a job, and caring for someone with PPD can take its toll on you. It can lead to exhaustion, possibly resentment, and can put a strain on your relationship. Remember to take a step back when you need to and do something for yourself. Your need for sleep, a good diet, and physical activity is just as important. Finally, do not isolate yourself. Talk to someone about how you are doing and your experience. You can speak to a mental health professional, a friend, or a family member.
If you feel that you or a loved one has PPD or prenatal depression, please know that you do not have to struggle alone. Trust Mental Health therapists can offer you the emotional, mental, and practical support you need to help cope with your symptoms. Contact us today for a free 15 minute consultation. We will match you with a therapist who is experienced in depression therapy and talk therapy.
FAQs
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If you feel that you need support managing your symptoms, we are here to help. At Trust Mental Health we have professional therapists with expertise in depression therapy, talk therapy, family counseling, and many more treatments. We offer therapy to clients all over California either in-person or online. With Trust Mental Health, you can have therapy sessions in a safe, judgment free environment.
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During therapy, you will have regular, private sessions with a mental health professional. They will help you identify, process, and manage the underlying causes of your depression. You will understand how your thought, emotional, and behavioral patterns add to your depressive symptoms. Through therapy, you will gain a sense of balance, control, and a renewed enjoyment of life. You will also learn problem-solving tools, the benefits of which are long-lasting.
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To learn more about your symptoms, click here to take our free depression assessment.
REFERENCES:
[1] https://www.postpartum.net/