Postpartum depression is defined as the feelings of sadness, inadequacy and hopelessness in a mother in the days and weeks after giving birth. The onset of these feelings are in part physiological due to the fluctuating hormones in a new mother’s body and partly cultural, especially if the woman does not receive sufficient help and support from the child’s father and others.
1 in 10 Women Suffer from Some Kind of Depression
Referred to as the baby blues in its mild version and postpartum psychosis in its most severe, postpartum depression affects between 10 to 20 percent of women in the time following the birth of a child. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services puts the current figures at 13%.
Brooke Shields Shares About Postpartum Depression
In 2005, actress/model Brooke Shields wrote a book, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression, in which she exposed her own personal struggle with PPD following the 2003 birth of her daughter, Rowan. In the book, Shields reveals that in retrospect, some of the beginning symptoms of her PPD included having no connection with her baby and the lack of desire to breastfeed. Shields explained that the baby's cry "meant nothing to me".
Signs and Symptoms of the Baby Blues, Postpartum Depression, and Postpartum Psychosis
According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the signs and symptoms of the different levels of postpartum depression.
The Baby Blues - Baby blues may last from days to weeks. The symptoms include the following:
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Sadness and Crying
- Irritability
- Decreased concentration
- Trouble sleeping
Postpartum depression – much like the baby blues, these symptoms may be more intense and last for a longer period of time. The intensity of the symptoms may be so severe that they interfere with a mother’s ability to care for her child or even handle every day tasks.
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Intense irritability and anger
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Loss of interest in sex
- Finding no joy in life
- Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy
- Severe mood swings
- Difficulty bonding with the baby: disinterest
- Pulling away from family and friends
- Thoughts of harming oneself or the baby
Postpartum psychosis - a rare condition which develops soon after delivery (about two weeks). The symptoms of postpartum psychosis are yet more severe that those of postpartum depression and may include the following:
- Confusion and disorientation
- Visual and/or audio hallucinations
- Delusion
- Fear and paranoia
- Trying to injure oneself or the baby
Treating Postpartum Depression
There are two common types of recommended therapies in treating PPD; talk or psychotherapy and medication therapy.
- Talk therapy - A new mother may be referred to a psychologist, social worker, psychiatrist, or therapist for counseling. Talking through the problem and receiving advice as to what to do to counteract depressive feelings may be all that some women need in order to overcome PPD.
- Medication therapy - Antidepressants may be prescribed to ease the symptoms of PPD. The medication may be prescribed either alone or along with counseling.
It is very important to understand that there shouldn't be a stigma attached to postpartum depression. Often times, the fear of how PPD will be perceived by friends or loved ones keeps women from seeking the treatment they need. New moms need all the help and support they can get - from both the baby's father and their loved ones. Women should be encouraged to seek any and all help available.
Any woman who believes she may be suffering from some form of postpartum depression should tell her doctor immediately.
Sources:
- Berger, Kathleen Stassen. The Developing Person Through the Life Span. Worth Publishers. New York. 2005
- “Depression During and After Pregnancy”. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Womenshealth.gov Retrieved 2009-07-29
- “Postpartum Depression: Symptoms”. The Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2009-07-29
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