Postpartum depression – causes, symptoms, treatment. How often does baby blues appear?

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Postnatal depression is a woman’s physical and mental response to the birth of a baby. Although they are often among the happiest moments in life, women are increasingly suffering from postnatal depression. It already affects every eighth mother. Find out why a woman can become so depressed after childbirth.

Postnatal Depression – What Should You Know About It?

Motherhood is an experience that every woman has differently. For some of them it is a joyful period of life, while for others it is a difficult time, full of sadness and even disappointment. With the birth of a child, changes come both in the material and mental spheres. Finding herself in the role of a mother can be difficult, especially when a woman has no support from her immediate family or is struggling with the health consequences of a difficult childbirth.

Postnatal depression is known as a mental disorder. It is diagnosed within 4 or 6 weeks after childbirth and affects 10 to 20% of women. It has the same symptoms as major depression, but unlike the latter, it has a greater severity of neurotic symptoms that overshadow other symptoms, Pitt concluded in 1968. According to the researcher, a woman suffering from postpartum depression is less sad and depressed than a woman with endogenous depression.

Women suffering from postpartum depression, unlike people suffering from endogenous depression, do not often feel hopeless and suicidal. Nevertheless, they fear for the life and health of their child and are often overly worried about their health. The period of postpartum depression is debatable – according to some scientists, it may last a year.

Postpartum depression – risk factors

Risk factors for causing postnatal depression include:

1. difficult course of pregnancy and childbirth,
2. child’s health problems,
3. problems with the marital relationship,
4. lack of support from relatives,
5. earlier occurrence of mental disorders.

Hormonal changes can also cause postnatal depression. During the birth of a child, a woman’s blood levels of estrogen and progesterone drop – this causes her mood to fall as well. In addition, her body’s level of prolactin, which is a hormone responsible for the production of breast milk, increases – this can also cause a lactation crisis and cause worry.

Whether biological factors influence the development of postpartum depression is still not scientifically confirmed. Nevertheless, there are some indications that pharmacological agents, caesarean section or tick surgery may contribute to its formation. On the other hand, postpartum depression can be caused by genetic factors – when a pregnant mother has suffered from postpartum depression in the past, the probability that her daughter will develop it is high.

Postnatal depression – diagnosis

Symptoms of postnatal depression may include:

1. Feeling sad most of the day and depressed mood when nervous.
2. Not enjoying activities that were previously enjoyable.
3. Frequent fear for the child’s health, e.g. frequent calling of the pediatrician in fear that the child is sick.
4. Fear of staying at home on your own.
5. Fear of a negative assessment of your involvement in the educational process.
6. You keep blaming yourself for everything, especially since you don’t know how to be a good mother.
7. You feel that nobody can help you and motherhood is not what you dreamed of.
8. You have difficulty carrying out daily activities.
9. You are reluctant to get out of bed, do not have the strength to wash, dress and take care of yourself.
10. You have no appetite or, on the contrary, you are “eating” sadness.
11. You have difficulty sleeping – you sleep shallow, you wake up easily and you cannot go to sleep, or you wake up very early and cannot be explained by your baby’s sleep rhythm.
12. You feel tired and weak all the time.

Postpartum depression and its consequences for the mother

Depressive mood disorders associated with the postpartum period often have negative effects on both the mother and the baby. The woman stops wanting to perform everyday activities, but also has problems with the performance of parental responsibilities. The effects of postpartum depression can be short-term and long-term – they also have a negative impact on relationships with husband, partner and family.

Postnatal depression causes emotional and personality problems later on. As a result, the woman does not establish a proper relationship with the child and thus does not care for it properly. This contributes to the loss of self-esteem and the belief that in the future she will be able to establish a bond with the child at all. It is worth adding that the bond between mother and child is formed during pregnancy.

In 1996, a study was conducted involving 12 women suffering from postpartum depression. It has been found that postpartum depression causes a woman to either not care for the baby or to carry out her duties without emotional involvement. Moreover, the mother does not enjoy these activities. To survive this state, mothers begin to separate emotionally and physically from their children.

A woman with postpartum depression has no desire to interact with her baby. She loses the ability to react appropriately to the child’s behavior and is at the same time hypersensitive to the toddler’s scream or other stimuli – the child’s behavior seems louder than it really is, and thus the mother feels overloaded with caring for the child. Consequently, the woman feels guilty and has difficulty coping with her emotions.

The consequence of postpartum depression is sometimes infanticide, but the greatest risk is mainly associated with postpartum psychosis – however, these are not frequent cases. Suicide is also a rare consequence of women suffering from postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression and its consequences for the child

Babies of mothers with postnatal depression are less likely to play. They are also more withdrawn, less joyful and therefore more prone to developing depression in the future. Postpartum depression affects every area of ​​a child’s development – these children have lower cognitive development, are reluctant to make contacts, are aggressive, have problems with concentration and have impaired overall cognitive development.

Newborns of depressive mothers show the following behaviors:

1. They are less active.
2. They are more irritable.
3. They have trouble sleeping.
4. They weigh less and are physically weaker.
5. They have less empathy.

Postnatal Depression – How Can I Avoid It?

The expectant mother should first of all take care of herself – both mentally and physically. She shouldn’t have the unhealthy ambition to prove to others that she is coping when she really needs help. She should also eat healthy and rest. It is worthwhile not to have to work in a stressful environment during pregnancy – even living in pregnancy causes many problems.

In many cities, meetings are organized for pregnant women and those who are just planning to get pregnant – it is worth taking part in them to learn about possible risks related to pregnancy and learn more about postpartum depression. What’s more, during the workshops you can exchange experiences and get psychological support. In order to avoid postpartum depression, a woman should be able to socialize, e.g. simply go out for a coffee with a friend.

Postnatal depression – treatment

Depression cannot be taken lightly. This means that a woman should not pretend to herself that she is okay. Being a mother is a demanding task – so don’t be too demanding on yourself. While postnatal depression often just goes away, never underestimate it. Even if it is short-lived, it can negatively affect both your relationship with your baby and your partner.

The family, especially the partner, plays a huge role in treating depression. In these difficult moments, he should support her and not show disapproval or criticize his partner. The young mother should be cared for and supported, should not be surprised or disappointed that she is ill, and should not be relieved of the excess responsibilities.

Both the partner and the young mother’s family should find out about postnatal depression. For this purpose, it is best to use the advice of a specialist. It is equally important to accept that your partner is temporarily mentally impaired and unable to look after the baby. Perhaps it will be accompanied by a feeling of rejection, due to the fact that the partner is in the center of attention – then it is worth being sensitive, patient and empathetic.

Postpartum depression and baby blues

Baby blues is postpartum depression that affects 40 to 80% of women. Unlike postpartum depression, mood disorders in this case are moderate. Baby blues usually occurs during the period of breastfeeding and worsens on the 5th or 6th day after giving birth. Symptoms of baby blues are tearfulness, irritability, fatigue, embarrassment, sadness and decreased libido. Baby blues do not need to be medicated.

A woman struggling with baby blues should get plenty of rest. When the baby falls asleep, she should also use this time for regeneration or small pleasures. Contrary to appearances, browsing other women’s social profiles at this time is not the best solution – watching celebrities who boast about their great form right after giving birth can only deepen postpartum sadness.

Are you noticing any disturbing symptoms? Do the test and see if you may be depressed

Postpartum depression – diagnosis and treatment

Your doctor or psychologist will need to talk to you and conduct various psychological tests to make your diagnosis, asking you to ask questions about your mood, thoughts, and behavior. It is also worth visiting an internist because, for example, thyroid diseases can cause low mood. Postpartum depression requires treatment, i.e. pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and psychoeducation are used for this purpose.

Find out more:

1. Psychotherapy in depression – what form of help should you choose?
2. Moved Münchausen syndrome

Support of the closest family is extremely important. Antidepressants are used. As they are excreted into breast milk, any treatment requires medical supervision. The lowest possible dose of the drug is used to treat the disease. After about 6 weeks, the effectiveness of the treatment is assessed. The average duration of therapy is 7 months. If there is no improvement after 6 weeks, see a psychiatrist.

Can depression occur in the next pregnancy?

If it has happened once, it can also happen after the next baby is born. Therefore, in some cases, a psychiatrist may recommend prophylactic treatment with an antidepressant in the next pregnancy.

Read also: Postpartum depression under control

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