Postpartum Depression

The change in a woman's life and body connected with the birth of a child often results in a especially alarming form of depression , referred to as postpartum depression.

Physically, when a woman becomes pregnant, her body undergoes huge changes in shape and mass. Also, an assortment of hormones come into play that up to this point have continued to be dormant. Inexplicable mood shifts and bouts of depression are frequently reported amongst pregnant women and women who have just given birth, while, equally inexplicably, other women remain entirely unaffected. Dramatic and frequent shifts in mood though, from extreme highs to extreme lows, can occur with little warning or explanation, though it is hardly surprising really, when one thinks about what the body has been enduring, along with the vast mental burden linked with the woman's new role as a mum.

It is impossible to guess exactly who will be affected by Postpartum depression. It can happen to the most skilled, intelligent and compassionate mother. Even women who have not experienced it with their first child may find that they are overcome by a dramatic commencement of depression and anxiety after the birth of the second or third baby. Postpartum depression is a highly unpredictable kind of depressive illness, but it is important to recognize it quickly when it does occur so that it can be dealt with efficiently.

Postpartum depression is a serious condition, but thankfully it is also a treatable one. You are best advised to ask for help as soon as possible when your partner, friend, family member or you yourself identify the signs. This can reduce the risk of the further development of the illness and its destructive consequences.

For many women, admitting that there is a problem is tough and often embarrassing. While in most Western countries modern families have many choices as to how and who brings up the children, there still remains an unshakable belief that all the skills associated with motherhood have been hotwired into women's brain, and thus should surface naturally. This is rarely how new mothers experience birth and the first stages of motherhood, but it can still be difficult for new mums to overcome the stigma they associate with their perceived helplessness and confusion after birth.

The critical thing for new mothers to understand, if they do feel depressed, suicidal or even homicidal, is that they are not going crazy but are going through experiences that are particularly common to women in their condition. Partners and parents should go out of their way to help such women to accept such negative feelings when they arise, so that they might be put in perspective.

Mood swings, even extreme mood swings, in pregnant women or young mothers are nothing to be ashamed of, but if left undiagnosed and untreated, they can lead to undesirable and destructive behaviour. Accepting that there is a problem is where the healing of Postpartum depression begins.