Postpartum Depression And The “Baby Blues”

 

Postpartum depression can and does present itself far too frequently.  Having a baby is said to be the most exciting and emotionally fulfilling experiences in any woman’s life.  The last thing you had on your mind in the final stages of pregnancy was postpartum depression (PPD).  What has happened? Why Am I So Depressed?  You have gone through the long and often uncomfortable months of pregnancy without a thought for what your feeling will really be like once your baby has been born.  It should be the best time of your life to date.  Unfortunately this often is not the case for many women.  But don’t despair. You are not alone and you do not have to go through this difficult time alone, afraid and frightened.

What Are The Symptoms?

 

It may be that you are not experiencing that warm fuzzy, happy, comfortable and satisfied feeling that everyone says you should be feeling.  First of all don’t listen to them – what do they know anyway?  You may well be experiencing a touch of the “baby blues” as it is often described.  The really important fact to understand here is that you’re not alone and more importantly it’s not your fault.

Extensive and well respected clinical research has consistently shown that up to 80% of women who’ve recently had a baby experienced feelings of sadness, guilt, anxiousness and even loneliness.  Reports indicate that they often felt upset and absolutely alone. The feelings of love, joy and affection they thought they’d have for their new born baby are just not there.  This can be devastating to some Mums.  These Depression Symptoms In Women cannot and must not be ignored.

These feelings and emotions, or should I say lack of feelings and emotions, are baffling and bewildering.  As the new Mother comes to terms with the physical reality of child-birth and the responsibilities associated with having a new born baby, along comes the “baby blues”.  The last thing you and your partner need!!!  The new Mother might cry easily, have difficulty sleeping, be sad, on edge and feel quite irritable and anxious.

How are you going to cope?  Why are you feeling like this?  Shouldn’t it be better than this?  All of these questions and many more pop up into your mind.  It becomes a traumatic and emotional time when really you want to be at your happiest.  All of these factors of course induce emotions and feelings of guilt for not experiencing the love you’ve expected to have and indeed wanted to have for your baby. The culmination of all these feelings and emotions, or the absence of what you think are the right feelings and emotions, adds up to postpartum depression.

 

What Is Postpartum Depression?

 

 

So, we have established that after a woman gives birth she may well experience the “baby blues” or a form of depression to a greater or lesser degree.  It is true that the experience and the intensity of the emotional feelings vary from woman to woman.  This is thankfully, in most instances, a transitory emotional condition that happens to a significant proportion of women who have babies.  It’s a fact and we cannot get away from it.

Postpartum depression will often present at around the 4th day after the birth of the baby.  Typically it can last from as little as a few days up to as much as three weeks after the birth of the child.  These are the most common parameters, but in some cases the depressed state can, unfortunately drag on longer than three weeks.  It is important to understand that this form of depression is very common.  Try not to consider it as an illness because it actually does not stop the Mother from caring for her baby, during this time.

It is also worth pointing out that the “baby blues” is very common and soon goes away, as described above.  The worry is more when this develops into full blown depression.  A true postpartum depression occurs soon after birth and affects about 20% of women within the first few months after the birth of their baby.  Due consideration must be given to women who have suffered from depression prior to getting pregnant since they will be more likely to develop depression after the birth of the baby.  It may be that the Mother has had periods in the past when she has been searching for ways for how to cure depression.  Typically a woman suffering from this condition will:

 

• Tend to feel down
• Often be tearful
• Experience a difficulty in sleeping and/or eating
• As a result of lack of sleep will be permanently tired
• Foster thoughts of suicide
• Display the inability to focus or concentrate properly
• Ultimately experience an overall feeling of being inadequate as a mother

 

Many Mother’s who have had this problem report that they worry about the health of their baby.  Confusingly they also report that at the same time they struggle with the fear that they might hurt their baby in some way.  However the evidence points to the fact that very few women  actually go on to hurt their babies.

 

Conclusion

 

If the “baby blues” continue for any length of time it may be prudent to seek the advice of a doctor.  As I have said above the condition is relatively common and sorts itself out fairly quickly.  However if you have any doubts do seek professional help.  You don’t want the postpartum depression to escalate to a case of postpartum psychosis.