DEPRESSION AFTER PREGNANCY
You have just given birth to your wonderful bundle of joy. This is one of the most special times in your life, but you are feeling very sad, alone, afraid or unloving towards your baby. Why? Researches don’t know why it happens exactly, but you are not alone. Depression occuring after pregnancy is known as postpartum depression or peripartum depression. After pregnancy, hormonal changes in a woman’s body can cause symptoms of depression. During pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in a woman’s body increases greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops back down to their normal non-pregnant levels. Sometimes, levels of thyroid hormones may also drop after giving birth. The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that helps to regulate your metabolism (how your body uses and stores energy from food). Low thyroid levels can cause symptoms of depression including depressed mood, decreased interest in things, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, and weight gain. A simple blood test can tell if this condition is causing a woman’s depression. If so, thyroid medicine can be prescribed by a doctor.
Generally, the symptoms are mild and for most women, the feelings will go away on their own. But 10-20% of women develop a more disabling form of this mood disorder called postpartum depression.
BABY BLUES
The “baby blues” are a temporary state of heightened emotions that happens in about half of women who have recently given birth. This usually begins 3-5 days after delivery and will last for several days to 2 weeks. If you experience the blues, you may cry more easily than usual, have trouble sleeping or feel irritable and sad. Baby blues are very common and it is not considered an illness. Postpartum baby blues do not interfere with your ability to care for the baby. The likelyhood of developing postpartum blues is not related to a previous mental illness and is not caused by stress. However, stress and a history of depression may influence whether the baby blues go on to become major depression.
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Postpartum depression is depression that occurs soon after having a baby. Some health professionals call it postpartum nonpsychotic depression. Postpartum depression occurs in about 10-20% of women, usually within a few months of delivery. You are at higher risk for developing postpartum depression if you have had previous depression, psychosocial stress or if you have a lack of social support. If you experience postpartum depression, you may worry about the baby’s health and well-being. Even though most women never act on their thoughts, you may have negative thoughts about the baby and fears about harming the infant. This type of depression does generally interfere with your ability to care for the baby. When a woman with severe postpartum depression becomes suicidal, she may consider killing her infant and young children. This is usually not from anger, but from a desire not to abandon them.
POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS
Postpartum (puerperal) psychosis is the most serious postpartum disorder. It requires immediate treatment. This type of extreme depression is reare. A woman with this condition experiences psychotic symptoms within 3 weeks of giving birth. These include false beliefs (delusions), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there), or both. Postpartum psychosis is associated with mood disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, or psychosis. If you are experiencing postpartum psychosis, symptoms can include inability to sleep, agitation, and mood swings. A woman experiencing psychosis can appear well temporarily. She may lead health professionals and caregivers into thinking that she has recovered, but she can continue to be severely depressed and ill even after brief periods of seeming well. Women who harbor thoughts of hurting their infants are more likely to act on them if they have postpartum psychosis. If untreated, postpartum psychotic depression has a high likelihood of coming back after the postpartum period and also after the birth of other children.
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION CAUSES:
No specific cause of postpartum depression has been found. However, there are some things that may play a role in developing the condition. A mothers age and race do not affect her chances of having depression after delivery.
*Hormone imbalance
*Levels of estrogen, progesterone and cortisol fall dramatically after delivery
*Mental illness before pregnancy
*Mental illness in the family
*Conflict in marriage, loss of employment or poor social support from friends and family
*Postpartum mental disorder after a previous pregnancy
*Miscarriage or stillbirth
*Physical changes after pregnancy
*Exhaustion
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS:
Symptoms usually appear any time from 24 hours to a few months after delivery.
*Frequent crying
*Lack of pleasure or interest in activities you previosuly enjoyed
*Sleep disturbance
*Weight loss
*Loss of energy
*Agitation or anxiety
*Thoughts of death or suicide
*Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
*Feelings of rejection
*Decreased interest in sex
*Physical symptoms such as frequent headaches, chest pain, rapid heart beat, numbness, shakiness or dizziness, and mild shortness of breath suggest anxiety.
EXAMS AND TESTS:
The diagnosis of postpartum depression are often missed because the symptoms are so common after childbirth. The symptoms are the same as those of many other mental illnesses, especially depression. Here is what to expect during an evaluation.
*Your health care provider will ask you about your symptoms: what they are, how bad they are, and how long they have lasted.
*He or she will also ask whether you have ever had similar symptoms before.
*You will also be asked about risk factors for depression, such as family or marital problems, other stresses, mental illness in family members, and drug and alcohol use.
*Your health care provider may use the questions of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. You answer 10 questions, and your answers indicate your probability of having postpartum depression. Depending on your score, you may be referred for further evaluation.
Call your health care provider in any of the following situations:
*When you have mood swings or feel depressed for more than a few days after the birth of your baby
*When you feel you are unable to cope with the daily activities in your life, including caring for your newborn or your other children
*When you have strong feelings of depression or anger 1-2 months after childbirth
Call a neighbor, friend, or loved one who is nearby AND 911 right away if you are experiencing any of the following:
*Inability to sleep more than 2 hours per night
*Thoughts of hurting or killing yourself
*Thoughts of hurting your baby or other children
*Hearing voices or seeing things
*Thoughts that your baby is evil
Sad mood
You have just given birth to your wonderful bundle of joy. This is one of the most special times in your life, but you are feeling very sad, alone, afraid or unloving towards your baby. Why? Researches don’t know why it happens exactly, but you are not alone. Depression occuring after pregnancy is known as postpartum depression or peripartum depression. After pregnancy, hormonal changes in a woman’s body can cause symptoms of depression. During pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in a woman’s body increases greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops back down to their normal non-pregnant levels. Sometimes, levels of thyroid hormones may also drop after giving birth. The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that helps to regulate your metabolism (how your body uses and stores energy from food). Low thyroid levels can cause symptoms of depression including depressed mood, decreased interest in things, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, and weight gain. A simple blood test can tell if this condition is causing a woman’s depression. If so, thyroid medicine can be prescribed by a doctor.
