Baby Blues and How to Identify Them

Postpartum depression can make you feel extremely sad and stressed and give you major mood swings. However, getting the timely treatment and the help you deserve is essential to your well-being and your child’s health. If you want to learn what post-partum depression really is and how to deal with it, continue reading.

Feeling Down?

Becoming a parent is both rewarding and challenging. It is a life-changing experience that can affect you physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally. These changes often bring in the feeling of worry and doubt. Post-partum depression, as the name suggests, is a type of depression that affects women who have given birth.

If you or someone you know is suffering from post-partum depression, know that you are not alone in this. Post-partum depression affects about 50 to 75% of the mothers after giving birth. Wondering how to identify post-partum depression? Here are the major symptoms of post-partum depression.

Symptoms Of Postpartum Depression

The symptoms of post-partum depression include:

• Feeling of sadness
• Low self-esteem and confidence
• Changes in appetite
• Lack of concentration
• Sleep disturbances  
• Lack of interest in things that once brought you joy
• Loss of energy and feeling of constant tiredness
• If you are experiencing these symptoms, reach out to your healthcare provider and get yourself treated.

Complications Of Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression can affect the mother, father as well as the baby.

• Mother: Postpartum depression if left untreated can lead to chronic depression in women. Even after the treatment, there is a future risk of major depressive disorder.
• Father: Postpartum depression in women can be a stressful event for the entire family. This can also lead to depression in fathers.
• Infant: Infants of mothers who are suffering from postpartum depression may develop emotional and behavioural problems. One of the most common problems is a delay in language development. Other problems include sleeping problems, excessive crying, eating difficulties and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

How To Deal With Postpartum Depression

There are many steps to help you support yourself or your partner in recovering from post-partum depression

1. Sleep and nutrition

Make sure you get plenty of sleep and a good amount of nutrition. Women are often unable to take care of themselves as they have their hands full with the baby. Taking adequate rest and good nutritious meals will balance your hormones and help you heal faster.

2. Psychotherapy

There are various self-help psychotherapy techniques you can try to feel better and ease your symptoms. You can try out courses or online to get guided self-help.

You can also enrol in therapy to talk to a licensed therapist. There are two types of therapies you can try, cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal therapy.

1. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on breaking the negative thinking cycle and developing a positive chain of thoughts. CBT can last for 3 to 4 months.

2. Interpersonal therapy:

Interpersonal therapy is one on one interaction with a therapist where you can discuss the problems you may be experiencing. It helps you identify any problems that might be facing with your family or partner. Treatment may last for 3 to 4 months depending on your condition.

3. Medication  

There are many medicines available that can help you effectively manage and reduce your symptoms of postpartum depression.

A physician may prescribe antidepressants to you if you do not wish to engage in therapy or if psychotherapy is not suitable for you.

If you are breastfeeding, let the doctor know, as not all treatments are safe for the baby.

However, you need to talk to your healthcare provider or a doctor so they can prescribe a treatment suitable for you. Also, make sure you adhere to the doctor’s guidance strictly during the treatment.4

4. Communicate your troubles

You must speak about your symptoms to the people around you. It will help the people close to you understand what you are going through. Also, sharing your thoughts with people who are having similar experiences can provide you with additional support. You can talk to your healthcare provider about any support groups or peer support.

5. Practise kindness

Having expectations from yourself as a parent is normal, but it is important to understand that none of us can meet all our expectations every time. You need to be kind to yourself even if something doesn’t go as planned. Treating yourself with kindness when you feel worse will help you worry less and improve your overall mood.

Talk To Somebody

Postpartum depression is a common condition that can appear 2-3 weeks after childbirth. If you are experiencing symptoms of post-partum depression, contact your doctor or healthcare provider and talk to the people around you or your partner.1,2 Letting people know how you feel by communicating can help you get the support you need. Talking to a doctor will help you start the treatment most suitable to your condition.

Conclusion

You are not alone. Millions of women suffer from this condition after giving birth, and there are effective treatments to help you get through this. Show yourself some compassion and care for yourself as much as you care for your baby.