It’s usually a beautiful sight seeing a mother and her baby, the love and happiness are visible in her eyes. The troubles she goes through, however, are not always the easiest to notice. Many individuals try to bring it out as normal “baby blues”, however, in real sense, it’s more than that. Postpartum Depression is a serious mental health problem affecting many new mothers and the fact that it is usually under-recognized and stigmatised by society, is an unfair disservice to the mothers all over the world.

In this blog post, we will understand what Postpartum Depression is, the types of Post Partum Depression there are, causes and what symptoms we should look out for.

What is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that affects women after childbirth. This disorder is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, emotional and mental anguish. These interfere with the mother’s ability to care for herself, the baby and the rest of the family as well. Therefore, this disorder needs the mother and child to receive an abounding amount of care.

 

Types of Postpartum Depression

A.Baby Blues

Also known as Postpartum Blues, Baby Blues is the most common type of Postpartum Depression, with approximately 85% of mothers going through it. Baby Blues is characterized by mood swings, fatigue and long periods of sadness.

This type of Postpartum Depression is mild and can start a few days after birth and can last up to two weeks. It is considered normal and not serious for mothers.

B.Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression has similar symptoms to baby blues but lasts much longer. Symptoms last for weeks or months and can get worse especially if not treated. 

C.Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum Psychosis is a rare but serious mental condition that needs immediate medical attention if symptoms are noticed. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, confusion and thoughts that include harming herself or the baby.

Despite the gravity of the condition it is treatable and the mother can lead a wonderful life afterwards.Treatments for the condition include antidepresants, mood stabilizers among others.

 

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

Postpartum Depression as in all mental health conditions, is different for every woman, however, these are the most common symptoms;

A.Emotional Changes

Severe Mood Swings

While mothers experience the normal ups and downs in emotional changes, mostly due to the demands of caring for a newborn and the rest of her family, mood swings associated with Postpartum Depression are more severe. They mostly involve fast and unpredictable changes in emotion such as from joy to sadness in short time frames.

 

Long periods of Sadness

Even when things are going well, you might notice the mother show signs of sadness and overwhelming despair and numbness that stays for long.

 

Irritability

During episodes of Postpartum Depression, the mother will feel easily frustrated, angry and sometimes direct the anger at loved ones or the new born. During this time, the family and whoever is around need to have an understanding attitude and care for her during such a hard time.

 

Difficulty Bonding with the Baby

When the mother experiences Postpartum Depression, they may lack the ability to connect with the newborn, other times, the mother might show a lack of affection towards the child or other family members detaching physically from the baby and the rest of the family.

 

Guilt

During such hard times, a mother might feel a significant amount of guilt and shame and or feelings of worthlessness. Despite having accomplished a great achievement, a new mother might have feelings of being a failure or being inadequate to be the mother of a child.

 

B.Behavioural and Cognitive changes

Difficulty Concentrating

During such episodes, a mother might find it hard to concentrate while engaging in simple tasks, such as having conversations.

 

Overwhelming Anxiety

During Postpartum Depression episodes, a mother can experiece excessive worry about the baby’s health, safety and her own ability to cater for the newborns needs.

 

Loss of Interest in Activities

Just like other symptoms of depression, the mother might find herself losing interest in taking part in activities she previously enjoyed such as hobbies and socializing. These activities seem too burdensome or tiring to her.

 

Social Withdrawal

Avoiding friends, social and family activities or even the newborn might be changes you might notice from a mother that is experiencing Postpartum Depression.

These symptoms might be different from mother to mother, the intensity as well.

During such times it is crucial we provide both the mother and new child with as much care as we can.

C.Physical Changes

Changes in Sleep Patterns

Insomnia is a normal symptom that affect patients going through depression, Postpartum Depression is no different. You will notice the mother having difficulty falling or staying asleep, this can affect their mental and physical health.

 

Fatigue

Despite low energy levels being a symptom experienced by mothers after child birth, extreme fatigue is a common symptom of Postpartum Depression. The mother oftenly finds it difficult to carry out daily taks and care for the newborn due to overwhemingly low energy levels.

 

Appetite Changes

During this time you will notice that a mother will either lose her appetite, eating significantly less than usual or gain appetite, consuming much more food than normal.

 

Cause of Postpartum Depression

A.Hormonal Changes

After childbirth, there is a significant and sharp drop in oestrogen and progesterone levels in the body. Such a drop in these vital hormones can contribute to mood swings and or depressive symptoms.

B.Adjustments

Physical, emotional and lifestyle adjustments after childbirth can take a toll on the mother, especially first-time mothers. Sleep deprivation, struggling with new responsibilities can prove hard on them and significantly contribute to them experiencing signs of depression.

C.Lack of Support

Every person needs support during hard times, this includes mothers to new born babies. The first few weeks after childbirth are usually the most important and they need all the help they can get. Financial, emotional and physical support can help them face such difficult times better and easier.

D.Genetics

Studies by Stanford Med have suggested that having a parent or sibling with or has experienced depression can increased your chances of experiencing depressive symptoms by 40%. However, this does not necessarily mean you will experience the disorder, there are many other factors that contribute to the probability of experiencing depressive symptoms.

 

Conclusion

Postpartum Depression is a serious but treatable condition that affect many mothers globally, from any race or background. Motherhood comes with numerous challenges, especially during the first few weeks. Therefore we need to understand the symptoms, types and causes to ensure we provide support and understanding during such hard times.

 

Please seek professional medical attention if experiencing the above symptoms.