Postpartum Depression After Pregnancy & Treatment

Postpartum Depression After Pregnancy & Treatment

Having a baby is an exciting, joyful, and frequently nervous time for most women. However, it may be highly upsetting and challenging for women suffering from peripartum (previously postpartum) depression.

Postpartum depression is a kind of depression that occurs during or after delivery. Peripartum depression refers to depression that often occurs during Pregnancy and is connected to having a baby.

Postpartum depression after Pregnancy is a significant but curable medical condition characterized by emotions of intense sorrow, apathy, or worry, as well as changes in energy, sleep, and appetite. It poses a threat to both the mother and the child.

Postpartum Depression After Pregnancy

Women are more susceptible during Pregnancy and the postpartum period. Biological, emotional, economic, and social changes are common for mothers at this period. Some women are at a higher risk of having mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

The baby blues, a short-term ailment that does not interfere with everyday activities and requires medical treatment, affects up to 70% of all new moms. Crying for no apparent cause, impatience, restlessness, and worry are symptoms of this emotional disorder. These symptoms linger for a week or two and usually go away without therapy.

What is the Postpartum Depression Symptoms?

A woman struggling from postpartum depression after giving birth will often experience several of these symptoms, varying degrees of the symptoms. New moms may feel alone, guilty, or humiliated as a result of these symptoms.

To be diagnosed with postpartum depression, the following symptoms must emerge during Pregnancy or within four weeks of delivery:

• Sadness or a gloomy state of mind.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in previously loved activities.
• Appetite fluctuations.
• Sleeping problems or sleeping too much.
• Increased tiredness or a loss of energy.
• Increased involuntary physical activity or slower motions and speech.
• Feeling worthless or remorseful.
• Thinking, focusing, or making judgments are difficult.
• Suicide or death thoughts
• Crying for no apparent cause.
• Lack of interest in newborn, a lack of attachment to the baby, or a high level of anxiety about baby.
• Afraid of being a horrible mother.
• Fear of causing damage to the baby or oneself.

Risks of Postpartum Depression During Pregnancy

Any new mother may have symptoms of peripartum depression or another mood disorder. Suppose a woman has already had depression or other mood disorders. In that case, if she is undergoing extremely stressful life events and the Pregnancy, She is at an increased risk of depression during or after pregnancy if she does not have the support of family and friends.

Rapid changes in sex, stress, and thyroid hormone levels throughout pregnancy and after birth, according to research, have a significant impact on emotions and may lead to peripartum depression. Other reasons include pregnancy-related bodily changes, changes in relationships and at work, and parental concerns.

Treatment of Postpartum Depression

Antidepressant medication should be regarded as the first therapy for women suffering from mild to severe depression or anxiety.

Options for Postpartum Depression after Pregnancy include:

• SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors): Consult your doctor, but keep in mind that some SSRIs have been linked to an uncommon but significant lung issue in newborns (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn).
• Reuptake inhibitors for serotonin and norepinephrine (SNRIs).
• Bupropion (Wellbutrin).
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).

Conclusion

Postpartum depression after Pregnancy has a major negative influence on the woman who has experienced it and on her spouse and the rest of the family. This is especially important for a newborn that is completely reliant on its mother for care.

Follow-up studies of children of women who have suffered postpartum depression have revealed a long-term negative influence on the child’s socioemotional development, which is cause for worry.