POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Postpartum Depression is a topic that is meaningful to me, because I personally went through it twice when I was pregnant. The most important point that I want to address is the Pre-Postpartum Depression (prior to delivery) is also important. I rarely hear about stories and being told of the depression during a pregnancy that continues on through the birth of a child.
I wrote a Thesis in Undergrad on Pre-Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Depression. A brief synopsis: The results were astounding. I surveyed 100 women. Some were friends, family members, and friends of friends. I also interviewed my OB/GYN, and my friends’ grandmother. What I discovered was that out of all 100 women surveyed, at least 50% felt some sort of depression during their pregnancy. The women chose the option for the question, “Did your symptoms continue after the delivery of your child. The Most related the sadness, anxiety, tears, and feelings to the 1st born child. The women expressed they were in fear of failure of being a parent for the first time; they were emotional because they were not ready to leave their children after 6 weeks to return back to the work world. Another 25% of the women surveyed reported they only had Postpartum Depression. Also 25% of them reported they took an additional amount of time before returning to work. One or two took up to a year. About 5 did not return to work for someone else but, decided to either turn their focus to school or become self-employed. In doing self-evaluations, they were not happy with their jobs and having a baby was significant enough for them to make a major change in their lives.
The point I want to make is sometimes in society, there are numerous triggers that can make a pregnancy difficult. Life happens every day, but it affects people differently. If a woman is going through Postpartum Depression she should seek medical attention. Depending on the severity a doctor may want to treat a patient with medicine to help treat the depression. If you she doesn’t agree with the medicine suggestion then make sure you get a second opinion. If symptoms go untreated they can lead to more serve problems. Some women have been known to hurt themselves, their babies, or others.
Postpartum (Post Natal) Depression in Australia
About Postnatal Depression
Mood changes
Becoming parents
The transition to becoming new parents is one of the most significant changes in life, and most couples find it challenging. Many adjustments have to be made to successfully navigate this transition to becoming parents.
Antenatal Depression
Prevalence of Antenatal Depression
These fears are not unusual and all pregnant women should expect some mood variation in pregnancy. But for about 10% of pregnant women depression can become a significant problem with Antenatal Depression.
Postpartum Psychosis
The term psychosis is the name for a group of mental illnesses where there is a loss of contact with reality. With time and careful management, most people do recover fully from these episodes – many never having another episode again.
Unfortunately, a woman is most at risk of developing a significant mental illness during pregnancy or in the first year following birth. Of these, postnatal depression is the most common, but postnatal psychosis, although relatively rare, is the most dramatic and severe requiring emergency, specialist treatment by mental health professionals in an in-patient psychiatric unit. Postpartum psychosis is considered to be a psychiatric emergency, as the safety of the mother and her infant may be at risk. Whether the mother and her infant are cared for together or separately will largely be determined by the severity of the illness, the mother’s symptoms, an individual needs assessment and/or the availability of mother baby unit beds. Not all places have mother baby units, so the options for in-patient treatment may differ depending on where the mother lives.
Postnatal Depression
Prevalence of Postnatal Depression
Postnatal depression (PND) can be a devastating and debilitating illness that can persist and affect not just a new mother but everyone around her. PND is not a modern condition. Each generation calls it something different. What we call PND today may have been called a 'nervous breakdown' fifty years ago.
Identifying Postnatal Depression
Why is PND hidden?
The early signs of PND are recognizable and help and interventions are available. But it can be very difficult to identify and diagnose PND in the early stages of its development for some of the following reasons:
Impact of Postnatal Depression
Women who experience depression after having a child are known to experience higher levels of distress in terms of symptoms and relationship difficulties (particularly marital) than non-childbearing women with depression. PND can have long term effects on the mother, her infant and children and on the couple and family relationships.
Risks of Postnatal Depression
If PND remains unidentified, untreated or is moderately severe the woman may be experiencing some thoughts and behaviour that present a risk to her or her baby. For most women their thoughts of harm or suicide are fleeting and represent a desire for their pain and distress to go away, for example a desire to go away and not come back.
Prevention of Postnatal Depression
Antenatal Education
Education during pregnancy, the antenatal period, provides a valuable opportunity to raise expectant couples' awareness of mood changes related to childbirth.
Postnatal Depression and Childbirth Trauma
The expectations of a mother-to-be of a calm, natural and fulfilling labour and childbirth, surrounded by supportive people with a sense of control and being heard can be central to her emerging sense of herself as a good mother. Should this type of labour or postnatal period not eventuate the new mother can feel less than a good mother, combined with the emotional and physical scars that remain.
Postnatal Depression and Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the method of choice for feeding infants and the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
Impacting My Future Work
This information has an impact on my future, because I need to make sure I HELP RAISE AWARENESS. I will do my best to have resources for pregnant women, new mothers, and families in my resource room at both of my organizations. Healthy families are important, and happy families, mean happy children.
