What is Postpartum Depression?
Preparing for Motherhood
You are doing a lot to get ready for your new baby. Your friends and family congratulate you, you have a fun baby reveal party and a baby shower. You pin 100 things on Pinterest to get the baby’s room decorated perfectly. Maybe you even take some birthing and lactation classes. Your house starts to fill up with all sorts of baby gear and the parents start to feel prepared as the excitement builds. Everyone talks about these little angels sent straight from heaven and the joy that they bring into a home. While all this is good, it’s often not the full picture. Not enough women talk about the challenges that a newborn can bring, especially for the mom who may go into a dark hole for a while. Up to 20% of pregnant and new moms may experience depression and/or anxiety.
How do I know if I have Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum Depression can often be confused for other concerns like Baby Blues or just sleep deprivation. So here’s a list of the actual symptoms of depression.
- Intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- Crying frequently for no apparent reason
- Feeling anxious or worrying
- Mood swings
- Oversleeping or not being able to sleep (even when your baby is sleeping)
- Difficulty concentrating, making choices, or remembering things
- Irritability or anger
- No longer being interested in things you enjoy doing
- Physical pains like muscle pains, stomach troubles, and headaches
- Drastic change in eating habits (too much or too little)
- Closing yourself off from friends and family
- Trouble bonding and attaching with your baby
- Doubting your ability to take care of your baby
- Feeling guilt
- Having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby
If you have five or more of the symptoms, and it’s been going on for more than a few days (especially if it’s more than 2 weeks) then you need to seek help.
What causes Postpartum Depression?
People will often dismiss PPD, blame hormones, or even blame themselves for feeling depressed. But cut yourself a break! After all, you just grew a human in your body! Then that watermelon had to come out of your body! And now you’re trying to recover physically & emotionally, all while getting no sleep. You are a super hero! All this physical strain and you’re expected to be happy & filled with joy?! It’s understandable that after all that stress, you might have feelings other than pure bliss.
PPD is caused by a combination of problems. Hormones do play a role, but it can also be caused by other strains such as a traumatic birth, financial stresses, marital stresses, changes in job, support symptoms, having a child with special needs, or having a history of mental health issues.
Am I at risk?
When you hear that any new mom is at risk for PPD it can sound ominous, but there are other factors at play too. And being prepared can help you avoid a crisis. Some new parents are at a higher risk than others. How do you know if you are at risk?
- Previous struggles with depression and anxiety
- Depression during pregnancy
- Family history of depression
- Gestational Diabetes
- Having multiples
- A difficult or traumatic birth experience
- Delivering a preterm baby
- Having a baby in the NICU
- Problems breastfeeding
- Having a baby with birth defects or other issues
- Stressful life events at, after, or around the time of the birth
- Unplanned pregnancy
- A lack of social support
- Low social economic status
- Domestic violence
Having any risk factors doesn’t automatically mean that you will have postpartum depression, but being aware of your risk level can help you. Knowing that you are at risk, you can be more of the symptoms and can get help sooner. Even if you have had previous births without PPD, you can still have PPD with any of your births.
How is Postpartum Depression treated?
Counseling or talk therapy is our first line of defense. An experienced therapist can help you work through your difficult thoughts & emotions. Therapists can help you learn new ways of dealing with your symptoms and your new role as mom. Therapist can also train your support system, teaching them about the symptoms of depression and together working on a plan to make sure you are supported during this difficult time.
Medication is another method for managing PPD. Generally, antidepressants are safe to use while breastfeeding. However, they can cause side effects and should be looked at only after seeking help from a therapist. Here are some websites to help you research the pros & cons of taking medication while breastfeeding. Mother to Baby & Infant Risk
Keep in mind, if you are dealing with depression while nursing you basically have 3 options:
- Expose the baby to the adverse effects of untreated depression in the mother
- Expose the baby to medication through the breastmilk
- Wean baby from breastfeeding and take medication.
This is a very personal decision, so please discuss all these factors with your partner and your care team.
If you’re struggling with perinatal or postpartum depression, call me today. I can help.
