If you feel down, low, helpless, anxious or teary
despite the joyous occasion in the family, despite
feeling enthralled with motherhood, well you are not
alone. Your emotions may be totally unexpected but
they are real and not imaginary.
When it is the blues
If you feel down, low, helpless, anxious or teary
despite the joyous occasion in the family, despite
feeling enthralled with motherhood, well you are not
alone. Your emotions may be totally unexpected but
they are real and not imaginary. Some facts you probably
didn't know:
• According to research some form of emotional
upsets - fear, self-doubt, irritability, angry feelings
towards baby, etc - take over a large percentage of
all new mums (75-80%).
• Termed baby blues, these symptoms are common
and therefore considered a normal phase of pregnancy.
• These feelings typically set in immediately
after childbirth (1-3 days after childbirth)
• If you had to deal with PMS before becoming
pregnant, you can expect a more dramatic version of
symptoms now.
• Raging hormone is but one factor responsible
for baby blues.
• These 'down' feelings can be attributed to
a lack of sleep
• Physical ailments you may be experiencing
also play a role.
• Lack of spousal or family support especially
at this time serves to push matters over the hill.
For no clear reason you may:
1. cry easily
2. have trouble sleeping
3. have poor appetite
4. become indecisive
Many new mothers are confronted with feelings of inadequacy,
fragility, helplessness and loneliness; some even
begin to doubt their ability of handling their newborn
and therefore see themselves as bad mothers. Baby
blues usually lasts for a short time - a few hours
to a week or so - and go away without the need for
treatment. The typical cycle of this phase:
• it sets in 1-3 days after delivery;
• peaks between the 5th and 7th day;
• and makes an exit within the next 72 hours
However women will still continue to feel emotional,
tear easily over the smallest of issues for the next
month or so but generally with each new day, there
is a marked improvement until the old self resumes.
When it is postpartum depression
Nevertheless there are cases when the symptoms don't
go away even after the stipulated period. For some
these feelings continue unabated for weeks; for others
there are no such upsetting moments in the postpartum
period - upswing in emotions, depression to be specific,
suddenly erupt out of the blue some 2-3 months later.
Both examples typify what's known by many as postpartum
depression. Now some facts:
• About 20-25% of new mums are plagued by this
condition
• It is mainly characterized by an overwhelming
sense of sadness, doubt, helplessness or hopelessness
that worsens over time
• Extreme situation is when the mother is not
able to care for herself or her new baby; has thoughts
of inflicting harm on self or baby
• Overanxious about baby or total disinterest
in or feelings for baby
• Marked change in appetite
• Sleep disorders despite fatigue or wanting
to sleep most of the time
• It can continue to last 6 months and beyond
after the baby's arrival
• If left untreated, it can continue to bother
even after the baby has turned one
Can you be prone to postpartum
depression
• Fatigue plays key role in determining your
chances of falling victim to depression. You are most
prone to depression if you continue to experience
extreme, unrelenting fatigue even after 2 weeks of
delivery. Research shows that if your fatigue continues
and does not wane within this time frame or if your
fatigue increases and worsens with time, you may be
at an increased risk for depression.
• Studies also suggest that some women more
than others are prone to depression, much in the same
way they are susceptible to mood swings during PMS;
in short some women are genetically sensitive to the
physiological changes that occur in the body after
giving birth.
• Since the finding suggests that this form
of depression is triggered in sleep-deprived women;
it is not a mental, psychotic breakdown as one is
inclined to believe. With timely intervention, overcoming
this illness is possible.
• In very rare situations does depression take
a severe turn and alter a woman's ability to think
rationally about herself or her kid; chances of this
is very remote and this ailment is completely different
from what has been outlined so far, and hence not
something you should concern yourself with.
Help yourself
• Using fatigue as a guide, you with your doctor's
help may be able to detect your risk and intervene
before the problem goes out of hand.
• Make arrangements with a grandparent or a
nanny to mind the baby; ensure you get time off to
catch up with your nap and spend some time away from
your baby in the healing phase
• Be open with your doctor and get the medical
advice you need; discuss options and alternatives
to deal with this situation. Medications such as antidepressants
or hormonal therapy for postpartum depression may
be prescribed. Be sure to get full a check up, including
blood test to measure thyroid function before any
treatment for depression is administered.
Remember, you are not a failure or at fault or mentally
ill if postpartum depression come knocking on your
door; they just mean that you and your body are adjusting
to the hormonal imbalance and other changes that follow
childbirth.
