For Old and New Mums: BABY BLUES & POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
A close friend of mine had her first baby some years ago. It was all joy and excitement, but after the first few days, she complained to me about feeling emotionally low since she had the baby. I listened as she spoke at length about the intense feelings of sadness, irritability, insecurity and self doubt that plagued her occasionally. It sounded like a paradox to me at first, I mean, she just safely delivered a beautiful baby girl and everyone was happy and so proud of her. Her husband, siblings, mother, mother in law, everyone had gathered around her in joy and to give support. It took me a while to realize what she was going through… the baby blues.
WHAT ARE BABY BLUES?
Baby blues are feelings used to describe the worry, sadness, and tiredness many women may have in the first few days after having a baby. Baby blues are also called postpartum blues. Postpartum means “after giving birth”.
Baby blues can happen 2 to 3 days after you have your baby and can last up to 2 weeks. They usually go away on their own. The baby blues are perfectly normal, but if your symptoms don’t go away after a few weeks or get worse, you may be suffering from postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression is depression that occurs after having a baby. Feelings of postpartum depression are more intense and last longer than those of “baby blues”
HOW COMMON ARE BABY BLUES?
Most women experience at least some symptoms of baby blues immediately after childbirth. About 4 in 5 new moms (80 percent) have baby blues, while about 1 in 8 women experience postpartum depression. These figures also differ depending on the age and race/ethnicity of the women.
WHAT CAUSES BABY BLUES?
There is no single cause of baby blues or postpartum depression. In fact, many factors can contribute to it. They may include:
- Hormonal changes: After childbirth, women experience a lot of hormonal changes. These changes may trigger postpartum depression.
- Physical changes: Giving birth brings numerous physical and emotional changes. A new mother may be dealing with physical pain from the delivery or the difficulty of losing the baby weight, leaving her insecure about her physical and sexual attractiveness.
- Stress: The stress of caring for a newborn can also take a toll. New mothers are often sleep deprived. In addition, she may feel overwhelmed and anxious about her ability to properly care for the baby. These adjustments can be particularly difficult for a first-time mother who must get used to an entirely new identity.
Other factors that may contribute are:
- Level of marital satisfaction
- Lack of family and social support
- Exhaustion
- Family history of postpartum depression
- History of depression
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Women experiencing the “baby blues” may have symptoms such as:
- Feelings of sadness
- Anger
- Irritability
- Feelings of insecurity
- Self-doubt about being a competent mother
- Bursting into tears often occurs, without reason.
- Occasional negative thoughts about the baby.
Postpartum depression on the other hand is more severe and longer-lasting than “baby blues”. In addition to the above symptoms women suffering from postpartum depression may also experience:
- Constant fatigue
- Lack of joy in life
- Sense of numbness
- Social withdrawal from family and friends
- Lack of concern for self or the newborn baby
- Severe insomnia
- Excessive concern for the baby
- Loss of sexual responsiveness
- Strong sense of failure and inadequacy
- severe mood swings
- Appetite changes
- Thoughts of suicide
DIAGNOSIS
Your doctor will usually talk with you about your feelings, thoughts and mental health to distinguish between a short-term case of postpartum baby blues and a more severe form of depression. Don’t be embarrassed; postpartum depression is common. Share your symptoms with your doctor so that a useful treatment plan can be created for you.
TREATMENT
Treatment and recovery time varies, depending on the severity of your depression and your individual needs. If you have an underlying illness, your doctor may treat those conditions or refer you to a specialist. Your doctor may also refer you to a mental health professional.
The baby blues usually fade on their own within a few days to one to two weeks. In the meantime:
- Get as much rest as you can.
- Accept help from family and friends.
- Connect with other new moms.
- Create time to take care of yourself.
- Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs, which can make mood swings worse.
Postpartum depression is often treated with psychotherapy (also called talk therapy or mental health counseling), medication or both.
- Psychotherapy; It may help to talk through your concerns with a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional. Through therapy, you can find better ways to cope with your feelings, solve problems, set realistic goals and respond to situations in a positive way. Sometimes family or relationship therapy also helps.
- Antidepressants; Your doctor may recommend an antidepressant. If you’re breast-feeding, any medication you take will enter your breast milk. However, most antidepressants can be used during breast-feeding with little risk of side effects for your baby. Work with your doctor to weigh the potential risks and benefits of specific antidepressants.
With appropriate treatment, postpartum depression symptoms usually improve. In some cases, postpartum depression can continue, becoming chronic depression. It’s important to continue treatment after you begin to feel better, because stopping early may make it begin again.
PREVENTION
There are some things you can do to prevent postpartum blues. These include:
- Good nutrition: Our brains need healthy nutrition and protein to function adequately. A well-balanced diet with adequate protein intake is required for optimal emotional wellbeing.
- Self-care: Yes, this is very important after you have had your baby. Please remember that self-care is NOT selfish and that your baby needs you to be well. Nourish yourself all that you can with breaks when needed, baths, time with friends, adequate rest and whatever else your brain and body needs to feel grounded.
- Adequate sleep: While having a baby makes it difficult to get the same quality/quantity of sleep than before, sleep deprivation should be monitored. Aim for at least one block of four hours of uninterrupted sleep a night.
- Exercise: Stay as active as possible. Women who get some form of mild to moderate exercise each day are less likely to become depressed or anxious than those who do not. This does not mean that you have to go to the gym, or run a marathon. Simple movement and activity can go a long way.
- Get support: Adequate emotional support is important to help you maintain mental health. If you have struggled with depression or anxiety in the past and know that you are at risk for postpartum depression, connect with a therapist before you have your baby.
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