Having a baby may not always be a joyous moment. Bringing a new family member home is a life-changing event for both the mother and father. It can be an emotional roller coaster. While most parents expect the joy and happiness the baby will bring, they forget to consider the social, emotional, and physical changes. Such changes in their lifestyle, accompanied by hormonal changes in women, can create anxiety and stress for a couple of weeks after delivery. This period of sadness, guilt and mood swings is called the postpartum period.
But this feeling does not last more than two weeks. If it does, it might be possible that you have PPD. This ailment has much more severe symptoms and may last for years if not treated early. Early treatment and counseling can help you live a healthy and happy life.
A Quick Overview
Postpartum depression is a type of clinical condition that usually happens to someone who has given birth to a baby. According to a meta-analysis, nearly 22% of women may exhibit symptoms after childbirth. However, fathers, surrogate mothers, and adoptive parents may also suffer from this mental health issue.
Even though those who adopt have not given birth, their lives have completely changed. They also may have to figure out finances, face sleepless nights, wake up at 3 AM to calm their baby, and cancel parties.
From being a couple to becoming a parent, this journey can be daunting. Some new parents may find taking care of their baby is similar to being stuck in a dead-end job with no future or hope. They may not feel any affection, may not want to, or have trouble taking care of their baby.
This condition is common, and it’s something that you can’t control. You have gone through astronomical changes in a short period. The good news is that it is treatable. People who start treatment early may have a better prognosis.
How Long Does it Last?
There is no set time for the condition to resolve, but the signs can improve over time. Most cases may resolve within 3–4 months of their inception. However, it can last more than two years. Such a prolonged state of depression can harm the health of the parents and the child, making it crucial to recognize the signs of PPD.
One thing people may confuse this condition with is the postpartum period. Therefore, they may feel that these prolonged, constant mood swings, guilt trips, and hopelessness are normal. The earlier you detect the signs, the earlier you can become free from them.
Remember that this condition can also begin during pregnancy. So just because you started feeling symptoms of PPD before or months after the baby was born doesn’t mean that you may not have it. This variability makes understanding the characteristics of this ailment pivotal.
While anyone can suffer from it, some people with certain risk factors have a higher chance of developing it.
What are the Risk Factors?
The exact cause is not clear. Like any other depression, it can be one factor or multiple things that lead to it. However, certain elements may contribute to and increase the chance of postpartum depressive episodes. These factors can be emotional, physical, or other factors.
- Emotional Factors — These may include:
- Experiencing a traumatic or stressful event: A stressful experience around the time of birth like violence, job loss, or grief may increase the risk of PPD. Bringing a baby home is already stressful and an enormous change in your environment. Any additional stress can push you into a depressive state.
- No support: A lack of support from your partner, family members, or friends may increase the chance of developing the symptoms. Your partner may be abusive or uncooperative. Family members may not help you out with taking care of the baby or say negative things about you. All of this can put stress on your mind.
- Financial problems: Taking care of a baby is not a piece of cake. Whether the pregnancy was planned or not, it can be expensive. From doctor’s appointments before and after delivery to planning for their education, babies can put parents in a dilemma. This may increase stress.
- Major life changes: Life changes that occur during the time after childbirth, such as moving, undergoing significant medical treatment, or getting fired, can cause a great deal of stress.
- Physical Factors — The physical changes include:
- Hormonal Changes: During pregnancy, levels of estrogen and progesterone are usually quite high. But they drop quickly in the next few hours after delivery to normal levels. But these sudden changes in hormone levels may lead to depression.
- Hypothyroidism: Many people with hypothyroidism also suffer from depression. Thyroid hormone levels also drop after delivery, which can cause this condition.
- History of Mental Health Disorders: A family history of depression, bipolar disorder, or any mental health disorder can increase a person’s chance of developing postpartum depression. The presence or absence of some genes can make people prone to depression.
- Complicated Pregnancy: A complicated pregnancy or delivery can create an environment of extreme stress for the mother. From worrying about their health and bodies to dealing with comments from relatives and family members, such events can be traumatizing. Such people have a higher risk of developing PPD.
- Other Factors — The other factors that may aggravate the chance of PPD include:
- Mixed feelings about the pregnancy
- A history of PPD after a previous pregnancy
- Breastfeeding difficulties
- You have gone through multiple deliveries
- The baby suffers from health conditions.
- A history of sexual abuse
No one knows who will experience PPD. But even with these risk factors, one can find relief with proper treatment even if you have one of these risk factors.
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Your Mood Doesn’t Improve
One of the major signs is that the baby blues are not going away. Baby blues occur due to sudden hormonal changes in the body of the person who gave birth. Most new mothers might face symptoms of postpartum periods. A lack of sleep and hormonal adjustment after childbirth can cause signs of baby blues. The baby blues usually go away after a few days.
But a person with PPD will not see any improvement in their mood. It is much more severe and lasts longer, sometimes for years. It can make you feel disconnected from the baby. You may think you don’t love your baby and feel no interest in taking care of it. However, none of this is your fault. You are not a lousy parent. If there is no improvement after two weeks, consult your doctor. Treatment can make you feel better.
You Feel Sad, Guilty, and Anxious
Feeling upset is okay, given there is a reason behind it. Some parents may feel sad about changes in their lives after giving birth. They may not get a chance to go out late at night or live on their terms without any stress about having so much on their plate. Eventually, these feelings might phase out. But people with PPD can feel this way for a much longer time.
Some parents with PPD may also feel hopeless. They might worry that, for the next 15 years, they may have no time for themselves. They may think having kids was a bad idea, but now they are trapped. Consequently, they might feel guilty about blaming their kids for their state. When a parent cannot take care of or does not want to take care of their baby, it can make them feel worthless and guilty.
Anxiety disorders are common following childbirth. You may be so anxious that you find it difficult to care for your baby or yourself, such as being unable to eat or sleep. Some women find themselves afraid that they will harm their babies.
These thoughts initiate a cycle of sadness, guilt, and anxiety. This long-lasting cycle of painful thoughts can improve with the proper treatment for PPD.
You No Longer Enjoy the Things You Used To
A common sign of this ailment is a loss of interest in things we used to like. It is called anhedonia. This mental health issue can be divided into social anhedonia and physical anhedonia.
Social anhedonia means increased disinterest in interpersonal relationships. Social situations might also seem like a burden. You might not enjoy going to parties and meeting friends for brunch as much as you used to love it.
Physical anhedonia is the loss of pleasure from physical sensations. To illustrate, those dumplings you carved all the time seem just all right now. Or, intimate activities with your partner may not feel pleasurable. If that has happened to you after pregnancy, talk to your doctor.
Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide
One of the most advanced signs of this condition is thoughts of suicide or hurting your baby. This is also a symptom of postpartum psychosis, an extremely rare and dangerous mental illness that requires immediate medical attention. Women who have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia may have a higher risk of postpartum psychosis. Some symptoms are:
- Seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.
- Feeling confused all the time.
- Having rapid mood swings within several minutes. For example, crying hysterically, then laughing a lot, followed by extreme sadness.
- Trying to hurt yourself or your baby.
- Paranoia (thinking that everyone wants to harm you)
- Restlessness
- Mania
Loss of Appetite
A change in your eating habits is another common indicator of depression. Some people may experience a decrease in appetite as a result of this. You may have to force-feed yourself because eating no longer appeals to you. Maybe you just don’t have the energy to cook. Changes in your eating habits may be linked to other depressive symptoms like exhaustion and losing interest in activities.
How to Get Diagnosed
There is no specific test available to detect postpartum depression. Your health care practitioner will evaluate you during your appointment. This visit may include reviewing your medical history, discussing your feelings since delivery, a physical exam, a pelvic exam, blood testing, etc.
They may do a test or ask you a series of questions to assess whether you have it. They’ll ask how you’re doing and how your baby is doing. Your doctor may also check your thyroid levels.
Be open and honest with your provider to ensure they receive an accurate picture of your emotions and thoughts. There is no judgment. They can only help you if you are being honest with them.
If your doctor suspects you have this ailment, they may refer you for counseling. A counseling session with a compassionate and talented provider can help you beat this disorder and feel better.
Seek Counselling from a Therapist with DocVita Today
Postpartum depression is a serious health condition. Dealing with severe mood swings, guilt trips, hopelessness, and fatigue for months and years is exhausting and overwhelming. Do you know what the worst part is? You may not get to cherish these magical moments with your partner and baby.
Children grow up so fast, and if you suffer from PPD, you may not be able to care for and love your baby adequately enough. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Early treatments and counseling for this condition have shown remarkable improvement in moods and the overall health of new parents.
Docvita can swiftly connect you with an expert therapist from the comfort of your home. All you have to do is hop on to DocVita’s book from the therapist page and book your session. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your first counseling session with Docvita and start enjoying parenthood.