• Come and join our girl community by registering for free and start discussing about girl topics, fashion, relationships...

Post-natal Depression

Snowbaby

Snowbaby

Active Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2004
Messages
9,704
Location
Scotland
Statistics show that one in ten mothers suffer from post-natal depression (PND). Hopefully this thread will help you to understand it and spot the signs and symptoms.

There are 3 types of post-natal emotional disturbance that can affect women -

1: The most rare but also the most dramatic is Post-Natal Psychosis, and only affects about 2 in 100 new mothers. The symptoms include:
  • Marked disturbance in mood, characterised by a very high or elevated mood; or a very low, depressed mood; or moods that swing from high to low.
  • A disturbance in thought processes, with nonsensical conversation
  • Auditory or visual hallucinations
  • Sleep disturbance
2: The most common type is Post-Natal "Blues", which is a brief period of emotional distress, occurring between the 3rd and 10th day after you have given birth. It is thought to affect 50-80% of all women. The symptoms are thought to be caused by the sudden change in hormonal balance after childbirth.


3: The third type is Post-Natal Depression (PND). This means "becoming deoressed after having a baby". This type is not usually related to any "obvious" cause associated with childbirth. Sometimes it is easy to explain, for example, an "accidental" pregnancy, or an 'abnormal' baby. Mostly, though, depression makes no sense.

PND can affect one in ten women who do suffer an emotional disturbance after childbirth. It can happen to anyone, and is certainly not a sign of weekness. It can vary in severity. Many women suffer in silence.

PND can go on for months, sometimes years, and can appear at any time in the first year after the birth, but usually within the first four months. The symptoms may resolve themselves, but will be shortened and less severe if medical advice is sought.

Source
 
Werbung:
There are very recognisable symptoms which are:
  • Depression: the most common - feeling low, unhappy, and wretched. Sometimes the depression is stronger at certain times of the day. Some days are good, some are bad - a feature which, itself, can be upsetting.
  • Irritability: resentment or anger often accompanies the depression. Sometimes shown to the new baby but more often to the partner, who just 'cannot understand what is happening'.
  • Fatigue: this is quite different to the accepted tiredness of a 'new' mother. The depressed mother becomes really exhausted during the day.
  • Insomnia: Despite the feeling of exhaustion, the mother finds that she cannot sleep when she does go to bed - or even if she does, there can be early morning waking.
  • Loss of Appetite: Often presenting as a 'lack of interest' in food and eating. This feature can, of course, add to the general symptoms of feeling 'low'.
  • General features of 'not coping', anxiety and loss of enjoyment: PND can develop even when there is a great maternal love - but then there is the accompanying development of a great unwarranted anxiety towards the baby, and the general handling of the infant. There may even be exaggerated concerns about disease and sudden infant death, in some way.

Source
 
Werbung:
Help with PND:

Your midwife and/or doctor should be your first port of call. Don't suffer alone.

Use family and friends for support, help and guidance.

If anyone else has anything to add, please feel free
<
 
Back
Top