Postpartum depression affects women, and sometimes men, in many different ways and can begin anytime within the first two months after giving birth.
For any new mom, bringing a baby into the world is an emotional and demanding experience. You’ve just welcomed home a beautiful bundle of joy that has everybody oohing and awing over tiny toes and the sweet newborn smell. But what if that bundle isn’t bringing you as much joy as you thought it would? What if the happiness that you had hoped for just isn’t there despite the adorable new addition to your family?
For most new mothers, it could just be a case of the baby blues. Feelings of weepiness and anxiety or mood swings and irritability are common for up to 80 per cent of new moms within the first few days of giving birth and generally last from two to four weeks. However, for many new mamas, these feelings don’t go away.
Roughly 25 per cent of both new mothers and fathers suffer from what most believe to be postpartum depression. “Postpartum depression is a misnomer of a term,” explains Tascheleia Marangoni, founder and director of Perinatal Mood Disorder Awareness Ltd. “The term is perinatal mood disorders and it refers to any mood disorder or mental illness that can happen during pregnancy and postpartum.”
While experts are hard-pressed to find one underlying cause, one of the strongest predictors of a perinatal mood disorder is depression or anxiety during pregnancy. Recognizing that you or someone you love may be at risk can be essential to dealing with the demands of motherhood and many changes that a new baby brings.
“The main things that often trigger a perinatal mood disorder are hormone changes in combination with a depletion of nutrients and possible changes in brain chemistry,” says Marangoni. “It’s made worse when a mom is at home with a new baby – she’s socializing less, she gets outside less, she exercises less, she’s not eating as healthy or as often as she should. All of these things in combination could send even the sanest of people into a depression.”
Postpartum depression is a serious mental health disorder than can be treated with the right help and coping techniques. Seeking the advice of your health care provider is an important, and often necessary, step to working through the difficult moods and emotions.
It is essential to acknowledge that, despite the stigma and lack of awareness surrounding the disorder, you are not alone in your suffering. Having other moms, dads or loved ones to talk to about your feelings of sadness, anxiety or lack of attachment and energy often provides an overwhelming sense of relief that others are experiencing the same worries.
As new moms learn to take care of a new being in their life, they often neglect their own needs. Taking care of yourself can often take care of your anxiety or feelings of depression. Self care, including the elusive ‘you time,’ is the best ways to begin to cope. Marangoni explains that four things more than anything will help combat postpartum mental illness.
Consistent sleep, nutritional eating, exercise as a natural antidepressant and connecting with nature are essential for a healthy mind, especially when you need the energy and positivity to care for both you and your new baby.
Suffering from any postnatal mood disorder is not an indication that you are not a good mother. “Moms have it so hard,” says Marangoni and keeping that in mind can be essential for your sanity. Motherhood brings about a multitude of challenges and being able to approach them with a healthy mind will allow you to enjoy the many wonderful moments with your growing family.
Symptoms
Postpartum depression affects women, and sometimes men, in many different ways and can begin anytime within the first two months after giving birth. The following are common indications that you may be suffering from more than just the baby blues:
• Negative feelings like sadness, hopelessness or guilt
• Low self-esteem
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Difficulty sleeping
• Changes in appetite
• Inability to be comforted
• Exhaustion
• Emptiness
• Social withdrawal
• Low or no energy
• Becoming easily frustrated
• Feeling inadequate in taking care of the baby
• Decreased sex drive
• Irritability or hypersensitivity
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety and worry
• Crying or tearfulness
• Anger
• Loss of interest in your usual activities
Are You At Risk?
Pregnancy and child birth can be stressful to even the calmest of women as it brings about many changes in one’s life that are difficult to prepare for. “Everybody’s at risk,” says Marangoni “because there are so many different ways you can be affected by it.” While the cause is not completely understood, the presence of several factors, both before and after birth, may increase the chances of a perinatal mood disorder.
Birth-related trauma
• Formula feeding rather than breastfeeding
• History of depression
• Cigarette smoking
• Low self-esteem
• Prenatal depression or anxiety
• Inadequate social support
• Marital difficulties
• Stressful life events
• Infant temperament problems
• Lower socioeconomic status
• Unplanned/unwanted pregnancy
• Being a single parent
More information and resources for new and expectant mothers and fathers can be found at www.ppda.ca
By Ashley Stephens