Postpartum depression

Postpartum or perinatal depression is a form of depression that occurs following the birth of a baby. It’s a relatively common but serious medical condition, affecting up to Postpartum depression can make you feel empty, emotionless, and sad. It can cause changes in mood, exhaustion, and a general sense of hopelessness for a long time after birth. People should not take postpartum depression lightly. It’s a serious disorder, but various treatment programs can help people overcome it. If you’re experiencing postpartum depression, you need to know that you’re not alone and that you can recover. Many people feel sad, empty, moody, or fatigued within a few days of giving birth — a condition nicknamed “ Symptoms of postpartum depression can vary from person to person and even from day to day. While symptoms can develop anytime after childbirth, they often start within Postpartum depression can make you feel disconnected from your baby. You may feel as though you don’t love your baby. These feelings are not your fault. • feeling sad or crying a lot • feeling overwhelmed • having thoughts of hurting the baby or yourself • not having an interest in the baby • having no energy or motivation • feeling worthless, guilty, or like you are a bad parent • sleeping too much or • change in • • having But postpartum depression doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent, and it’s not your fault. If you notice symptoms, you need to tell a healthcare professional and seek treatment to feel better. If yo...

What Is Postpartum Depression? Postpartum depression (PPD) is a complex mix of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that happen in some women after giving birth. According to the DSM-5, a manual used to diagnose mental disorders, PPD is a form of major depression that begins within 4 weeks after delivery. The diagnosis of postpartum depression is based not only on the length of time between delivery and onset but on the severity of the depression. Postpartum depression is linked to chemical, social, and psychological changes that happen when having a baby. The term describes a range of physical and emotional changes that many new mothers experience. PPD can be treated with medication and counseling. The chemical changes involve a rapid drop in hormones after delivery. The actual link between this drop and depression is still not clear. But what is known is that the levels of estrogen and progesterone, the female reproductive hormones, increase tenfold during In addition to these chemical changes, the social and psychological changes of having a baby create an increased risk of depression. Most new mothers experience the "baby blues" after delivery. About 1 out of every 10 of these women will develop a more severe and longer-lasting depression after delivery. About 1 in 1,000 women develop a more serious condition called postpartum psychosis. Dads aren’t immune. Research shows that about 1 in 10 new fathers get depression during the year their child is born. Postpart...

Having a baby is one of the happiest timesin life, but it can also be one of the saddest. For most new mothers, the first several days after having a baby is an emotional roller coaster ride. Thrilling moments of happiness and joy are abruptly interrupted by a plunge into moments of depressive symptoms including weeping, anxiety, anger, and sadness. These "baby blues" usually peak in the first two to five days after delivery, and in most women, go away as quickly as they came. Except sometimes they don't go away. For some women, depressive symptoms continue well past those first two weeks or develop over the next several months after having a baby. A recent New England Journal of Medicine explores postpartum depression, this potentially debilitating condition that affects between 6.5% and 12.9% of new mothers. What causes postpartum depression? We don't fully understand what causes postpartum depression. It is thought that the abrupt decrease in hormone levels after having a baby can lead to the development of postpartum depression in susceptible women. We also can't say for sure what makes a woman particularly vulnerable to postpartum depression. We do know that the strongest predictor of postpartum depression is a personal history of a mood disorder or anxiety, especially if present and untreated during pregnancy. In fact, women with a history of depression during pregnancy are seven times more likely to experience significant postpartum depression. Other factors that ma...

Postpartum depression is a type of depression that happens after having a baby. It affects up to 15% of people. People with postpartum depression experience emotional highs and lows, frequent crying, fatigue, guilt, anxiety and may have trouble caring for their baby. Postpartum depression can be treated with medication and counseling. Overview What is postpartum depression? Having a baby is a life-changing experience. Being a parent is exciting but can also be tiring and overwhelming. It's normal to have feelings of worry or doubt, especially if you are a first-time parent. However, if your feelings include extreme sadness or loneliness, severe mood swings and frequent crying spells, you may have postpartum depression. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a type of If you have postpartum depression, know that you are not alone, it's not your fault and that help is out there. Your healthcare provider can manage your symptoms and help you feel better. What are the types of postpartum depression? There are three different types of postpartum Postpartum blues or baby blues The baby blues affect between 50% and 75% of people after delivery. If you're experiencing the baby blues, you will have frequent, prolonged bouts of crying for no apparent reason, sadness and anxiety. The condition usually begins in the first week (one to four days) after delivery. Although the experience is unpleasant, the condition usually subsides within two weeks without treatment. The best thing you can do i...

About 2–3 days after childbirth, some women begin to feel depressed, anxious, and upset. They may feel angry with the new baby, their partners, or their other children. They also may: • Cry for no clear reason • Have trouble sleeping, eating, and making choices • Question whether they can handle caring for a baby These feelings, often called the • How long do the baby blues usually last? Postpartum depression probably is caused by a combination of factors. These factors include the following: • Changes in • History of depression—Women who have had depression at any time—before, during, or after pregnancy—or who currently are being treated for depression have an increased risk of developing postpartum depression. • Emotional factors—Feelings of doubt about pregnancy are common. If the pregnancy is not planned or is not wanted, this can affect the way a woman feels about her pregnancy and her • Fatigue—Many women feel very tired after giving birth. It can take weeks for a woman to regain her normal strength and energy. For women who have had their babies by • Lifestyle factors—Lack of support from others and stressful life events, such as a recent death of a loved one, a family illness, or moving to a new city, can greatly increase the risk of postpartum depression. • If I think I have postpartum depression, when should I see my health care provider? Antidepressants are medications that work to balance the chemicals in the brain that control moods. There are many types of an...