Postnatal DepressionMost Read Articles
Postnatal depression (PND) or postpartum depression is a mental disorder, which happens after a woman has, gave birth. Being emotional and moody is usually experienced by new mothers and normally disappears after several weeks. The term “baby blues” is regard to be a part of being a new mom and experts say that it is possibly a result of hormonal alterations that has happened after giving birth. Normally, this condition does not last long and will be resolved when the hormones are back to its balance state. But in postpartum depression the status of the mother impairs her capacity to provide care to her baby and at the same time to herself. It is sometimes coupled with thoughts of suicide, which can be very alarming. Professional help may be needed, as well as strong family support and persistent attention to patient’s needs, this will help her recover and continue her joyful parenthood.
Initially, the symptoms of postnatal depression may be similar to typical baby blues. Actually, both of these conditions have a lot of alikeness such as crying spells, inability to sleep, sadness, mood swings, and ill tempered. On the other hand, postnatal depression symptoms are long termed and more critical. The presence of anxiety is also notable in this condition. The mother’s appetite is occasionally impaired. They would lose their interest in eating and if this happens, could become a potential serious issue given that new moms need the strength they can have to provide care to their newborn. Patients who suffer postnatal depression do not enjoy the feeling of being a mother as what they expected to feel. They would sometimes feel dismal and tearful for no clear cause. And worst, because they are obsessed with regard to the safety of their babies, they might have disturbing ideation of harming their new born.
The most common cause of this condition is the fast hormonal alteration of a pregnant woman, which goes together with pregnancy. It is then being activated after delivery resulting to depression. After giving birth, the levels of the hormones, which are the estrogen and progesterone drops abruptly, including the thyroid levels, this can result to weakness. The sudden change of blood pressure, performance of the immune system, and metabolism take part in this condition. There are also several factors involved in postnatal depression. Women who formerly experienced episode of depression will most likely experience it again. Family history is also one common factor, possibly inherited. Moreover, it is common to women who undergo stressful situations prior to giving birth. Professional help is available if a woman is experiencing this condition however, if left untreated can last long. Some therapies may include psychotherapy, which is frequently chosen due to inability to take prescribed drugs while breastfeeding. Hormone therapy helps a woman recover from postnatal depression by replacing the estrogen. Marriage counseling is also helpful if a woman undergoes marital difficulties. Lastly, a doctor must monitor using antidepressants for severe conditions but it closely since medications can produce unwanted side effects.
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