Sometimes women suffer with depression immediately after child birth and this depression is known as postpartum depression. There are five kinds of postpartum depression, any of which can occur after child birth; however similar depression can also occur before or during pregnancy as well.
You may be fatigued because of the extra work a new baby brings, or you may be insecure about your abilities as a parent.You may experience hormonal changes as a result of "coming off of" pregnancy hormones and going back to normal hormonal levels, or you may have guilt and fear, feel helpless, be confused, and be unable to perform the simplest of daily tasks.
Postpartum depression is different than the so-called "baby blues." Baby blues are pretty common among mothers. There may be a loss of appetite, episodes of crying, trouble sleeping, anxious feelings, mood swings, and so on.In the vast majority of cases, the symptoms disappear after just a few days.
Women know that their bodies undergo very dramatic changes during pregnancy. Giving birth doesn't make those changes disappear, and your body still needs to adjust from the trauma of having a baby. Hormones that affect mood and behavior flood the female body during and after pregnancy. Suddenly having a very demanding newborn to care for can be a huge change, especially to brand-new moms.
Symptoms
Due to PPD's similarity with major depressive disorder, many of the symptoms are common to the two disorders. Symptoms may include:
* Feelings of sadness and hopelessness. * Low self-esteem. * Guilt. * Anhedonia. * Low levels of energy and exhaustion. * Increased or decreased appetite. * Insomnia or hypersomnia. * Feeling inadequate in taking care of the baby.
Even the symptoms of postpartum depression closely resemble the symptoms of other mental illnesses. These symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, problems sleeping, constant worry over the child's health, problems concentrating, and even extreme cases of suicidal thoughts. Many mentally ill people who have never had children can experience many, if not all of these symptoms.
No woman understands the full meaning of the word "mother" until you have to become one. Did your mom ever say this to you? There are so many changes to your daily life, it is hard to multi task and balance everything.The constant adjustments, putting the baby first and taking on your other obligations can be quite overwhelming.
Some mothers may indeed show signs of having "baby blues" in the beginning, but they may persist and become more severe overtime.If the new mother experiences urges whereby she wants to harm herself and/or her child, or if she loses interest in things that used to engage her, these are things that should be noticed either by the new mother in question or by friends and family.
Doctors generally prescribe psychotherapy for mild cases. This has been widely effective in such cases. Some women are asked to undergo a therapy called Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). IPT enables women to make adjustments at a social level. Typically, this option consists of 12 sessions with a therapist that is one-hour long.
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