How To Know If You Have Postpartum Depression – Here are some potential obstacles women may encounter when seeking treatment for PPD and some tips on how to overcome them.
You wake up with a sore throat, stuffy nose, sinus pressure and headaches. You may suspect you have a sinus infection. To treat these uncomfortable symptoms, you will likely seek medical attention from a health care professional to receive a diagnosis and treatment so that you can return to your normal daily activities. Simple enough, right?
How To Know If You Have Postpartum Depression
If only seeking medical attention for postpartum depression (PPD) were as simple as seeking medical attention for a sinus infection. So why is it harder for women to seek treatment for PPD?
Signs That You Might Have Postpartum Depression
PPD, despite being the most common medical complication of childbirth, carries a stigma that may be why so many women do not share their PPD symptoms with a healthcare professional. recently conducted a survey, sponsored by Sage Therapeutics, of more than 1,000 female respondents between the ages of 18 and 49 who are either pregnant or planning to become pregnant. The results showed that 91 percent of the women surveyed agreed that there is societal pressure on mothers to hide the struggles, worries and pain that can accompany motherhood.
Because there can be significant stigma associated with mental illness, the thought of sharing your symptoms with a health care professional can be daunting. If you feel at all uncomfortable talking about what you’re feeling, remember that you’re dealing with a legitimate one
Condition, and your healthcare provider should be able to recognize this. Some health care providers may not be aware of the high prevalence of PPD—29 percent of women we interviewed who are pregnant or have children reported that their providers did not ask about or mention PPD symptoms. If this is the case for you, it’s important to feel comfortable describing potential PPD symptoms yourself, whether it’s to your healthcare provider, partner, family members, or friends.
Some of the symptoms of PPD, such as irritability, excessive crying, or loss of energy, can be brushed off as normal side effects of motherhood. These are also symptoms of what is known as the ‘baby blues’, which affects around 80% of new mums; but if it persists for more than two weeks, it may be from PPD. Other, more serious symptoms of PPD, such as thinking about hurting yourself or your baby, are less common but require prompt discussion with your doctor or family. In our study, only 38% of respondents knew that suicidal thoughts can be a symptom of PPD.
The Baby Blues: A Comprehensive Guide To Postpartum Depression
Talking with your healthcare provider about any postpartum symptoms, even if you think they are a normal part of motherhood, can help identify and then treat PPD before symptoms potentially increase in severity.
More than half of the survey respondents believed that it would be possible to prevent PPD. PPD cannot be prevented. The idea that it is a preventable condition can lead to mother blaming if she has symptoms or is diagnosed with PPD.
Any woman who is pregnant or has recently given birth is at risk for PPD. However, you may be at increased risk of developing PPD if any of the following apply to you:
We can all help spread the word that PPD is a medical condition. The more openly we talk about it, the more people will accept (and respect) it for what it is.
Postpartum Depression: Definition, Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment
There is also some confusion among women about how PPD is diagnosed. Thirty percent of women surveyed did not know how or if health care providers actually diagnose PPD. Many believe that there is no specific diagnosis for PPD, a misconception that can lead to the assumption that PPD is “all in a woman’s head.” PPD is a medical condition that can be diagnosed.
Let’s go back to the sinus infection example. If you found out you had a sinus infection, but a health professional told you there was no way to treat it, would you even want to get a diagnosis? This seems to be the case for some women when they think about PPD; they may feel there is no point in getting a PPD diagnosis if there is no way to treat the condition.
With proper treatment plans, PPD symptoms can improve. Even if you start to feel better, it is important to continue the treatment, as stopping the treatment too soon can cause the symptoms to return.
If you’re dealing with PPD, you’re not alone. We hope this information will help you and other women understand that there are resources, information, and treatments available for those experiencing the symptoms described in this article. Around 1 in 5 women experience mental health problems after giving birth, with depression being one of the most common problems.
Postpartum Depression: The Worst Kept Secret
This page was medically reviewed by Dr Donna Grant (MBBS, MCRPsych, BSc Hons), Consultant Psychiatrist at Chelmsford Priory Hospital in November 2021.
Depression during the postpartum period (the first year after the birth of a child) is known as postpartum depression. It is also sometimes called postnatal depression.
It’s common to experience a wide range of emotions in the first year after a baby is born. Becoming a parent is one of the most significant life transitions you will experience; it can be the most rewarding thing you ever do, and yet one of the most challenging. Sometimes you can feel happy and excited. At other times, you may feel worried, anxious, overwhelmed or negative – all of which can be signs of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression doesn’t just affect new moms; it is also possible for partners and men to experience this.
Postpartum depression has many similarities with other forms of depression. The biggest difference is that the anxiety and negative thoughts that are common in depression are often focused on your new baby.
When The Bough Breaks: A Documentary About Postpartum Depression (2017)
The extent to which depression symptoms affect your ability to care for your child varies from person to person. Many new mothers continue to care for their children despite being sick. But if you have severe postpartum depression, you may need help caring for your baby and other children until you get well.
You don’t have to struggle with a mental illness; specialized treatment is available. Get the support you need today by calling us on: 0800 840 3219 or submitting an online inquiry form.
Unfortunately, on some occasions, women, their families and even health professionals do not recognize that new mothers have postpartum depression, which means that many women wait much longer than necessary before receiving treatment. Some potential reasons for this include:
Anyone can be affected by psychological problems in the postpartum period, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you think you might be feeling uncomfortable.
Postpartum Depression In Men
After the birth of a child, 50-80% of women also go through what is known as the “baby blues”. This usually starts 3-4 days after birth and disappears within two weeks. Symptoms include:
Baby blues are believed to be mainly due to hormonal changes that occur in the body. But unlike postpartum depression, the baby blues usually go away on their own without any treatment and don’t tend to affect your daily functioning.
If you find that you’re still experiencing the above symptoms for more than two weeks, you may be struggling with postpartum depression, as opposed to the baby blues. If this is the case, it is very important to get help.
There is no single cause of postpartum depression. There are a lot of different biological, psychological and social factors that can become a cause of postpartum depression. Some of the factors associated with postpartum depression include:
The Postpartum Depression Workbook: Strategies To Overcome Negative Thoughts, Calm Stress, And Improve Your Mood
If you’re dealing with low mood and symptoms of depression in the months after giving birth, it’s worth remembering these few strategies, thought processes and key principles to help you cope.
At Priory, we can offer specialist treatment for postpartum depression across our national network of hospitals and wellness centres. We can also offer help for antenatal depression (depression during pregnancy).
Your mental health during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby is just as important as your physical health at these times. The right treatment will help you stay as well as possible and enjoy family life.
“People shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it. So many people stay at home and shut down. I think that’s the wrong thing to do.”
Baby Blues After Pregnancy
Depending on the severity of postpartum depression symptoms, we can offer you a variety of treatment programs:
We can also offer many different forms of therapy to help you with postpartum depression. These include:
The main type of therapy we use in the treatment of postpartum depression is a technique known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This will help you change the negative thought patterns that are common with postpartum depression. During pregnancy or after giving birth, depression can mean you lack confidence or judge yourself negatively as a parent. CBT aims to give you techniques to challenge these thoughts and improve your mood.
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