Beyond Baby Blues: Battling Postpartum Depression

 

 

 

For many people, the birth of a baby is a time of joy and excitement. But for some women, those feelings may be accompanied by anxiety, sadness and, in some cases, depression.

Many women — anywhere from 40 to 80 percent — experience postpartum blues, or “baby blues,” after delivering a baby. But some women — 8 to 15 percent — experience more severe, persistent symptoms leading to a diagnosis of postpartum depression, she said.

But one of the most important developments in the last few decades for new moms is the increased body of knowledge about postpartum depression: What causes it, how to recognize it, and why women and their partners need to seek help for it because there is help.

A woman experiencing postpartum blues will have mild symptoms that appear within the first couple of days after delivery and last a couple of weeks. Those symptoms include increased crying, feeling overwhelmed, sadness, irritability and mild anxiety.

There’s no single cause or reason. Instead, doctors have determined that sharply dropping estrogen and progesterone — estrogen drops 2,000 percent within 24 hours of giving birth — along with other hormones, combined with fatigue and loss of freedom, old identity and pre-pregnancy shape all contribute to postpartum depression. That lifestyle factors can play a role, too, especially if a new mother does not have a solid support system around her or has trouble breastfeeding.

New research is also helping to shed light on postpartum depression, with one study published in 2013 in Molecular Psychiatry that points to two genes as possible triggers:

1) The first step in fighting postpartum is distinguishing it from “normal” baby blues. Signs and symptoms of baby blues include:

• Crying for no clear reason
• Trouble sleeping, eating and making decisions
• Feelings of doubt about caring for the baby

2) Signs and symptoms of postpartum depression include:

• Baby blues that persist or get worse after a week
• Anger or strong feelings of depression one to two months after childbirth
• Feeling so helpless, sad or guilty that you can’t function normally
• Being unable to take care of yourself or the baby
• Changes in appetite
• No interest in things that used to make you happy
• Major concern or worry about the baby, or fears of harming the baby
• Anxiety or panic attacks

If you fall into the baby blues category, you can do the following things to help prevent baby blues from turning into depression:

• Rest. It may sound impossible with a new baby, but aim to put yourself on the baby’s sleep schedule and nap when she naps
• Lean on family members and friends for help
• Take a shower, get dressed, and get out of the house – once the doc says it’s okay, put the baby in that fancy stroller and walk to Starbucks – whatever it takes to care of yourself
• There is new evidence to suggest that eating plenty of protein (protein enables the production and regulation of hormones) and staying hydrated can also improve symptoms
• Talk, talk, talk to your partner and friends.

If you fall into the latter category of postpartum depression, schedule a visit with your doctor right away. He or she may prescribe you medication or may refer you to a licensed counselor to help handle the postpartum depression. Support groups are offered around the country, and help lines are readily available if symptoms elevate and your support network is unreachable.

They key to battling postpartum, whether it be short-term baby blues or a more protracted depression, is to know how to recognize the signs and symptoms and understand that help is at your fingertips — you just need to now take a step forward to ask for it.

For more information make an appointment by calling 0925-567-5329 • 0908-865-5662 • 0917-566-1932 • 458-0717 and schedule a consultation today.

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