Giving birth can be very painful, most especially to the one who bears the baby herself, mother. Aside from the lingering pain that they experienced while giving birth, there are some other conditions that may affect them. Just like the postpartum depression, which may severely impact the wellness of those who just started as parents. Not just that, it may also affect the health and the development of the child. The more knowledge you have about the causes, symptoms, as well as the treatments for postpartum depression, the better the chances of treating it effectively. If you want to know these and many more, feel free to give this article a read.
Postpartum Depression: What is this condition?
It is with great happiness when you bear a child. In fact, it is one of the most incredible events in life. It represents a completely new chapter of challenges, joys, stresses, as well as responsibilities. Unluckily, the transition from being pregnant to being a new mother may become so intense. This is since it may be accompanied by some hormonal and emotional shifts. These may often manifest to be a postpartum depression.
Many experts suggest that the percentage of the mothers who suffer from the condition can be as much high as 60%. Even though in some severe cases, or to those that may extend up to postpartum psychosis, were far rarer.
The postpartum depression actually looks the same as the normal depression that some people are going through. This can be described as the feeling of being down into the bumps, feeling of misery, unhappiness, blue, or sad. This mood disorder in mothers who have just given birth may cause them to have feelings of frustration, anger, loss, or sadness, which may interfere with the day-to-day life for a period of time.
Moreover, postpartum depression is way more powerful and is far way powerful and may last longer. in fact, this condition affects about 15 percent of the births, in the first-time moms and even those who have just given birth before. The intensity of the feeling of exhaustion, sense of hopelessness, and severe mood swings may intensify and may make it harder to deal with themselves and their own babies.
Postpartum Depression: What causes this condition?
Actually, there is no main reason or cause for the postpartum depression. However, some emotional and physical issues may play big roles in it.
- Emotional Issues: when your sleep is being deprived and is being overwhelmed, you may experience troubles in handling even just some small problems, you may become anxious about your own ability to care for your newborn child. Any of these matters may contribute to the postpartum depression.
- Physical issues: after a childbirth, there may be a dramatic drop in the hormones in the body, which may contribute i9n the postpartum depression. Furthermore, some other hormones that are produced by the thyroid glands may also drop sharply. Thus leaving you to feel tired, depressed, and sluggish.
Postpartum Depression: What are the symptoms of this condition?
Even though it is a normal thing to feel moody or exhausted after bearing a baby, the postpartum depression may go beyond that. The symptoms of the condition are quite severe and may interfere with the ability to function.
Here are some of the most common symptoms of postpartum depression:
- Intrusive thoughts towards your baby and yourself
- Want to escape from everyone or everything
- Feeling of worthless and guilty
- Feeling of hopelessness and overwhelm
- Having no interest in the things you enjoy
- Having a difficulty in remembering things
- You might feel out of control
- Mood swings
- Irritability, anger, and anxiousness
- Can’t stop eating
- Excessive sleeping
- Exhaustion
- Feeling odd sadness
Treatments for Postpartum Depression
The treatments for postpartum depression as well as the recovery time of it may actually vary. It depends on the severity of the depression and the individual needs. Those mothers who are wondering whether they may have the symptoms of the condition, then going to your doctor is a must. Even though the recovery may sometimes take about several months, it is still curable, nothing to worry about it.
A mother’s most important step on the treatments for postpartum depression as well as the recovery is to acknowledge the problem first. Your family, close friends, and of course, your partner may give support and may have a major impact on the faster recovery from the condition.
Some experts and professionals say that it is better for mothers to express themselves. To express how they feel to other people they trust the most. This is rather than keeping it all up inside. Actually, there are some risks that the partners or their loved ones may shout it out, which may just complicate the situation.
One of the best treatments for postpartum depression is the self-help group. This is beneficial because mothers will not only have an access to some useful data, they may also meet some other mothers who have the same condition as they are. This can be beneficial in making them feel that they are not isolated or alone.
