Postpartum Depression & Its Symptoms

If you are a new mother, you’ll be feeling overwhelmed. The physical and emotional effects of pregnancy and delivery will be overwhelming, but they’re also temporary. You’ve probably heard the word “postpartum” or “postpartum depression a lot, but what exactly is it? What are some signs to seem out for? and the way are you able to get help if you wish it? Read on to be told more about this important topic.

What is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression may be a mood disorder that commonly occurs during pregnancy and after childbirth. It’s not identical to postpartum blues, which could be a temporary. Normal feeling of sadness or loneliness that many new moms experience within the primary six weeks after the organic process.

Postpartum depression may be serious, causing symptoms like crying in the dark and irritability along with your baby. It also may cause thoughts about hurting yourself or your baby (suicide). If you have got these symptoms for quite period of time or they decline over time, don’t hesitate to speak to your health care provider about them — whether or not you are feeling like everything’s fine now!

Postpartum blues are also known as “baby blues” which is a mild depression & mood swings. It is very common & 80% mothers are going through it. Postpartum blues are generally resolve within two weeks but if it exceeds than its a serious depression which need to be taken care of by some either counselor or doctor.

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Signs and symptoms

  • Depression: the sensation of sadness, anxiety, and low energy levels. You’ll even have feelings of guilt or anger. You will not be able to sleep or eat properly, otherwise you might want you’re physically ill with the flu.
  • Anxiety: Anxious thoughts that prevent you from enjoying life. You will worry about how others perceive you (or how they don’t), or get scared when driving late in the dead of night because it’s dark out—even if there aren’t other cars on the road. This could result in insomnia in addition as increased stress hormones in your body which then causes more irritability and mood swings toward yourself/other people around them (especially family members).

Causes

There are variety of reasons why you may experience postpartum depression. Hormonal changes and stress are often responsible, additionally as relationship issues along with your partner or members of the family, sleep deprivation and drugs side effects, lack of support (be it from friends or family), poor nutrition at work or home, and other factors that may result in depression. Research suggests that genetic factors play a very important role in developing postpartum mood disorders like mental disturbance and major depression.

Risk factors

There are many risk factors for postpartum depression. Number of the foremost common include:

  • Pregnancy and childbirth
  • Family history of depression
  • Stressful life events, like divorce or an abusive relationship
  • Lack of social support (for example, if you do not have friends who understand what you are going through)  *Unplanned pregnancy * Previous postpartum depression

Complications

Depression may be serious illness. It is a chronic illness, and it will be fatal. Depression is treatable, but you have to speak about your symptoms along with your doctor first. It is also important to grasp that depression may be prevented by getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods and exercising regularly.

Diagnosis

If you are experiencing postpartum depression, it’s important to speak with your doctor without any hesitation and speak whatever you feel. You doctor may refer you to a mental state professional or loved one who can help. If you find difficulty to share your problem or feelings with anyone then its better you talk to the counselor at the clinic where your child born(if applicable) else you can discuss once with your gynecologist so that she can suggest you something.

One thing which is very important is that you should be vocal about what you feel or how you feel so that you can get some solution for that. This is very natural so no need to be ashamed or feel hesitated to talk about it. Be aware & seek help for it.

Prevention 

If you or someone you recognize is experiencing postpartum depression, don’t be afraid to seek help. Depression is often a vicious circle and it is important that you just don’t feel ashamed about asking for help. Taking with your close friends or family members may help, but you should also know that there are many ways within which you will prevent postpartum depression from happening by taking steps towards healthy living and reducing stress the maximum amount as possible.

Exercise Regularly

  • You can do cardio exercise daily for 30 mins
  • Meditate daily for atleast 15 mins
  • You can do Yoga also for 15-30 mins

Treatment

Medication: Antidepressant is the most common medicine for treating depression. It could be in the form of pills, liquid or injection and typically takes four to six weeks to start working.

Psychotherapy: This is an alternative treatment choice for treating postpartum depression but it’s tough than medication because it requires you to speak about your feelings with a mental state professional who will facilitate your work them.

Other Treatments: There are other sorts of treatment which will be helpful in treating your symptoms, but they are not as common as medications or therapy. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and hypnotherapy though it is vital to notice that neither one has been proven effective at curing postpartum depression completely on its own yet!

Ask For Help If You Need It

If you are feeling like you are depressed or having hard time to connect or establish a bond with your child then seek advice from your doctor. Be open and vocal about your emotions and how you feel difficulty to connect with your child. Doctor will try to identify the cause and give you the best treatment for the condition. A therapist may additionally be able to offer guidance about your postpartum depression and the way to address it in its early stages.

Follow whatever your doctor or therapist ask you to do religiously so that you can recover fast & simultaneously ask your family members to give you some basic information about how to raise a baby. Be patient with baby as everything is new to both of you. Don’t take to much pressure for anything. Don’t try to be a perfect mother from the first day because as a mother your journey just started so be patient with yourself as well.

Motherhood is a beautiful feeling if you know how to enjoy otherwise it seems to be an irritating job as you will be gifted with sleepless nights, no time for you to take care of yourself so these thing may exhaust you initially but once you will know how to deal with it you will start enjoying everything & that will be your daily routine.

So don’t worry just relax & be vocal for everything whatever you are going through so that you can get the help & if required then medication.

Conclusion

I hope that this post has helped you to understand what postpartum depression is. If you’re thinking that you would possibly be scuffling with it than remember that it’s quite common. So likelihood is that somebody near you will be able to aid.

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