Postpartum depression is an illness that happens when a mother gives birth to her baby. It will usually occur when they get home from the hospital with their baby. Most of the time, the mother is going to feel joy when they first have the baby, but when that joy is nowhere to be found then the mother is probably suffering from postpartum depression. But postpartum depression can also happen to a mother even if the mother adopted the baby instead of giving birth to the baby. This is because no matter how the baby came to be in the mother’s life, it can change a person’s life and sometimes that can be hard for a mother to handle at first (Atlantic, 2016).
There are several things that can cause postpartum depression for a mother. The first thing is hormonal changes. The hormonal changes happen when a woman has a drop in their estrogen levels. The woman might also experience a drop in their thyroid levels after they have had the baby. Some of the other hormonal changes for a new mother might be a drop in their metabolism and blood pressure. The second thing is physical changes in their body. Of course, the woman is going to lose some of their body weight but they might have difficulty losing all of the weight that they want to. This can make the woman feel unsecure about their appearance and whether or not they are attractive. The woman might also be feeling some pain from the delivery which can make a person depressed.
The third thing is stress. It is not easy taking care of a newborn so that can be very stressful on a new mom. The new mom is probably not going to get a lot of sleep and will start to feel overwhelmed. Therefore, the mom might have doubts that she will be able to take care of her baby (Helpguide, 2016). The fourth thing is financial problems. Having a new baby can cause a financial burden to a family. The fifth thing is relationship problems. If the relationship with the father of the baby is not good, then the mom could become depressed (NHS, 2016).
There are some risk factors that a new mom should be concerned about when they have a new baby. The first risk factor is if there is a history of depression that runs in the family or if the mom has had depression at another point in her life. The second risk factor is if the mom has had severe PMS symptoms. The third risk factor is if there were any medical issues with the mom or the baby when it was born. The fourth risk factor is if there are any issues with the relationship with the father of the baby. The fifth risk factor is if the mom feels like she does not have enough support to take care of the baby (Helpguide, 2016).
There are five stages of postpartum depression. The first stage is denial. Denial is when the mother is in denial about what is happening to her and probably thinks that it won’t happen to her. The second stage is anger. Anger is when the mother thinks that no one understands her and refuses to try to get any help. The third stage is bargaining. Bargaining is when the mother thinks of things to do so in her mind, the postpartum depression will go away. The fourth stage is depression. In this stage, the mother feels like her family would be better off if she would just leave them. The fifth stage is acceptance. This is the stage where the mother is finally going to realize that something is wrong and ask for help (HON, 2015).
There are several symptoms of postpartum depression. The first symptom is that the mom might not been interested in the baby. The second symptom is that the mom is going to have negative feelings for the baby. The third symptom is that the mom will worry that they are going to hurt the baby. The fourth symptom is that the mom is no longer concerned about their well-being. The fifth symptom is that the mother no longer gets any pleasure out of the same things that they used to.
The sixth symptom is a lack of energy or motivation to do anything. The seventh symptom is that the mother might feel some guilt and worthlessness. The eighth symptom is a change in weight or appetite. The ninth symptom is sleeping in or getting up more than the mother normally would. The tenth symptom is they might express feelings of death or wanting to commit suicide (Helpguide, 2016).
There are a few things that a new mother could do herself to help with her postpartum depression. The first thing is to try to get as much rest as possible. The second thing is to accept any help that your friends and family are willing to do. The third thing is to try to connect with any new moms that you might know. The new moms will be able to offer you advice when you are dealing with certain things. The fourth thing is to make some time for yourself so that you can get away from all of the stress of having a new baby. The fifth thing is to not drink alcohol and do not use any drugs. The drugs and alcohol can cause a new mother to have mood swings.
There are two main treatments that can be done to aid in the postpartum depression. The first treatment is psychotherapy. It usually helps to talk to a professional like a psychologist or psychiatrist about any of the concerns that a new mom could be going through. A professional will be able to tell a new mom how to cope with the feelings that they might have and give them solutions to certain issues. It is also a good idea to have other family members involved in these therapy sessions. The second treatment is to prescribe the new mother some anti-depressants. But new mothers will need to be careful because if they are breastfeeding, then the medication could enter the bloodstream of the body. Therefore, the baby could suffer some side effects from the medication. Most of the time, a doctor will be able to figure out what the best thing to do for the postpartum depression based on the mother.
It is very important that if the mom starts to feel any of the symptoms or if the family members notice the mom behaving differently, then they need to get help immediately. Most of the time, if the right treatment, postpartum depression is going to go away in about six months. But if the postpartum depression lasts longer than six longer, it will probably become chronic depression. The chronic depression is a lot more serious so it’s important that the treatment stays on course until the mother is feeling completely back to her old self. When the treatment is stopped too soon, then the mother could end up having a relapse (Mayo, 2016).
Postpartum depression can have a lot of different impacts on a baby. The first impact is problems with the child’s behavior. The child could have problems sleeping, being extra hyper, and have temper tantrums. The second impact is delays in cognitive development. If the mother is depressed, then the child might have some development issues. These issues could include problems with school and learning difficulties. The third impact is social problems. The children of mothers who suffer from postpartum depression might have trouble making friends because they are usually withdrawn.
The fourth impact is problems with their emotions. Low self-esteem is very common for children whose mothers suffered from postpartum depression. The fifth impact is depression. When the mother suffers from depression while the child is young, then the child has a chance of developing depression for very young (Mayo, 2016). The sixth impact is having a clingier baby. This is going to happen more at night when the baby will need the most protection. The baby will also need more care during this time (Understanding, 2014).
References:
The Atlantic Monthly Group. (2016). Postpartum Depression can happen to any parent. Retrieved on January 26, 2016, from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/04/postpartum-depression-can-happen-to-any-parent/360918/
Helpguide. (2016). Postpartum Depression and the Baby Blues. Retrieved on January 26, 2016, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/postpartum-depression-and-the-baby-blues.htm.
HON CODE. (2015). 6 Things: The 6 Stages of Postpartum Depression. Retrieved on January 26, 2016, from http://www.postpartumprogress.com/six-things-the-6-stages-of-postpartum-depression.
NHS Choices. (2016). Postnatal depression – Causes. Retrieved on January 27, 2016, from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Postnataldepression/Pages/Causes.aspx.
Mayo Clinic. (2016). Postpartum depression. Retrieved on January 27, 2016, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/basics/treatment/con-20029130.
Understanding Childhood. (2014). Postnatal depression. Retrieved on January 27, 2016, from
http://www.understandingchildhood.net/posts/post-natal-depression-a-problem-for-all-the-family/.
