All about postpartum depression

What is postpartum depression?

La postnatal depression is to be distinguished from the baby-blues, in fact, the baby-blues generally manifests itself in the days following birth. It can often be due to changes in hormone levels as a result of childbirth. The baby blues are fleeting and give rise to a strong emotivity and a fear of not being able to take care of your baby.  

If the symptoms of baby-blues continue beyond the first week, if they increase and settle over time, this is depression post-partum.

What are the symptoms of postpartum depression?

Young mothers with postpartum depression often experience a feeling of guilt linked to incompetence to care for their baby. This causes very strong anxiety related to the health or safety of the baby. They are afraid of harming the baby. Some women also give the impression of losing interest in their child. Finally, in times of depression, we tend to isolate ourselves and withdraw into ourselves, sometimes having morbid or suicidal thoughts.

What are the differences between Baby blues and postpartum depression?

Some signs of postnatal depression are not very evocative because they often exist in this period following childbirth. They can be confused – wrongly – with a simple baby blues, which usually does not last more than a few days after childbirth. Moms often experience disturbances in appetite or sleep, experience severe fatigue, and sometimes lack interest in routine activities.

Postpartum depression: risk factors

He moves impossible to predict who will have depression after birth. However, some mothers are immediately more vulnerable than others. Especially those who have already experienced a depressive episode during or before their pregnancy.

Postnatal depression can occur when the pregnancy or childbirth was difficult, when a pregnancy was unwanted or when problems arose in the baby at birth (prematurity, low weight, hospitalization, etc.).

Socio-economic factors also favor maternal difficulties: marital problems, a single mother, a period of unemployment, etc.

Finally, a recent stressful event, such as bereavement or marital breakdown also has an influence.

The consequences of postnatal depression for the baby

It is essentially a influence on the psychoaffective and behavioral development of the child. Children of depressed mothers may show signs of irritability or anxiety with difficulty letting go of their mother and fear of others. Sometimes they present a delay in learning, such as language or motor skills. Other babies suffer from digestive problems (spasms, rejections) or sleep disturbances.

Postpartum depression: the mother-child bond and the couple

In a relationship severely disrupted by the disease, depressed mothers are often less attentive to the needs of their child, are less affectionate and tolerant. Conflicts within the couple often arise from postnatal depression and it is not uncommon for the partner to end up presenting a psychological problem as well. The first thing when you feel bad after your baby is born is to talk about his suffering and especially do not isolate yourself. Family, dad, close friends are often a great help. The Maman blues association helps mothers who are struggling with their motherhood. Often a psychological follow-up is necessary to go up the slope.

How to get out of postpartum depression: what are the different treatments for postpartum depression?

Psychotherapy 

Joint therapy of mother and baby with a psychotherapist is the best solution. Therapy can last from 8 to 10 weeks. During these sessions, the therapist will defuse the conflict between mother and child, often by going back to the past and its possible conflicts with her maternal line. The therapy will allow the restoration of a mother-child relationship. 

Parent-child units 

In France, there are about twenty parent-child units; mothers can be hospitalized there full time or just for the day. In these units, a team of caregivers made up of child psychiatrists, psychologists, nursery nurses and nurses carry out work to allow the mother to regain self-confidence, in order to support the bond with her child. A bond of attachment necessary for its development during its first months of life. 

Home interventions

Some parent-child units have set up a home psychological care system to make up for the lack of places in parent-child units. This care is carried out by a nurse who establishes psychological work with the mother, and monitors the health and needs of the baby. This home help allows women to regain self-confidence. 

Postpartum depression: Marion’s story

“The collapse took place after the birth of my 2nd child. I had lost a first baby in utero so this new pregnancy, obviously, I dreaded it. But from the first pregnancy, I was asking myself a lot of questions. I was worried, I felt that the arrival of a child was going to be problematic. And when my daughter was born, I gradually fell into depression. I felt useless, good for nothing. Despite this difficulty, I managed to bond with my baby, he was breastfed, received a lot of love. But this bond was not serene. I didn’t know how to react to crying. In those moments, I was completely out of touch. I would get carried away easily and then I would feel guilty. A few weeks after the birth, someone from PMI visited me to find out how it was going. I was at the bottom of the abyss but she saw nothing. I hid this despair out of shame. Who could have guessed? I had “everything” to be happy, a husband who got involved, good living conditions. Result, I folded in on myself. I thought I was a monster. I focused on these impulses of violence. I thought they were going to come and take my child away.

When did I decide to react to my postpartum depression?

When I started to make sudden gestures towards my child, when I was afraid of violating her. I searched the internet for help and came across the Blues Mom site. I remember very well, I registered on the forum and I opened a subject “hysteria and nervous breakdown”. I started chatting with mothers who understood what I was going through. On their advice, I went to see a psychologist in a health center. Every week, I saw this person for half an hour. At the time, the suffering was such that I thought of suicide, that I wanted to be hospitalized with my baby so that I could be guided. Gradually, I went up the slope. I did not need to take any drug treatment, it was the talking that helped me. And also the fact that my child is growing up and gradually begins to express itself.

While speaking with this shrink, a lot of buried things came to the surface. I discovered that my mother also had a maternal difficulty after I was born. What had happened to me was not trivial. Looking back on my family history, I understood why I had rocked. Obviously when my third child was born I was afraid that my old demons would reappear. And they came back. But I knew how to keep them away by resuming therapeutic follow-up. Like some mothers who have experienced postpartum depression, one of my concerns today is that my children will remember this maternal difficulty. But I think everything is fine. My little girl is very happy and my boy is a big laugh. “