Postpartum depression

The arrival of a new person in the family is a holiday that all family members look forward to. However, sometimes for a mother, changes in her life become unbearable and lead to the development of postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression: causes

While expecting a child, the female body undergoes a restructuring. To make it easier for a woman to endure this period of her life, we develop hormones. They help her approach life easier and make her more emotional. This is why pregnant women are often capricious, their mood and desires rapidly change. Everyone knows about this and is sympathetic to the behavior of expectant mothers.

Why does depression occur after the birth of a child? Some psychologists are inclined to believe that a woman’s body cannot quickly return to normal after childbirth and cope with the large number of hormones released during pregnancy. But most people think that this condition of a woman is associated solely with her temperament and character. After all, there are thousands of women who, after giving birth, are in a state of happiness, although many additional worries and responsibilities have fallen on their shoulders.

A young mother often experiences real stress. After all, her new responsibilities are incomparable to any, even the most difficult work. At any job, you can take a break or vacation, or simply quit if it becomes completely unbearable. Mom doesn't have such opportunities. She must be with the child around the clock. Sometimes even in the toilet. In addition, after giving birth, any woman feels unwell and responsible for the child. This is what leads to the development of postpartum depression:

• Her expectations do not match reality. Of course, during pregnancy, every woman understands that after the birth of the baby it will not be easy for her. But expecting their first baby, women have no idea how difficult it will be in reality. And when the realization of this fact comes, the woman experiences stress.
• Combining the responsibilities of mother and housewife. Often, depressive state comes from the fact that a woman cannot adapt to the fact that now she must not only fulfill the duties of a housewife, but also take care of a child. The baby requires attention throughout the day: feeding, bathing, walking, changing clothes and much more. At the same time, you need to somehow manage to cook dinner, clean the apartment, and do the laundry... How to combine all this?
• Lack of sleep. Babies wake up very often in the first months of their lives. Therefore, young mothers simply cannot gain strength due to constant lack of sleep.
• Feeling helpless. Many young women who have become mothers for the first time do not know what to do, how to take care of their child. They are afraid of doing something wrong and harming the baby.

How long does postpartum depression last?

Do not rush to consider postpartum depression a trifle and a whim of a new mother. This is a very serious condition that requires correction. Postpartum depression can continue in different ways. Often, instead of enjoying the happiness of motherhood, a woman falls into a sad state, which only gets worse over time and the mother feels more and more unhappy.

It also happens that depression hits a woman several months after giving birth. At first, the woman feels happy caring for her baby, but then despondency and depression sets in.

The duration of depression depends on several factors. The main thing is the severity of the depressive state. With a mild form of the disease, the period lasts up to six months. If depression is complicated by psychosis, it can last more than a year.

The support of relatives and spouse, financial situation, living arrangements and the character of the mother herself play an important role in the duration of depression. Sometimes the reluctance to seek help leads to depression only getting worse.

Symptoms of postpartum depression

Warning signs of postpartum depression usually begin to appear almost immediately after the birth of the child, and only intensify over time. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the woman’s condition in order to show care and participation in a timely manner and prevent the development of a depressive state.

All women experience symptoms of depression after childbirth in different ways. But there are still some symptoms that are characteristic of each case:

• The woman shows no interest in her child. This symptom is the most frightening. The young mother does not want to care for the child, feed him, and sometimes even refuses to pick him up. The woman begins to experience negative feelings towards the baby.
• Fear of harming the child. A woman cannot cope with her helplessness; she is always afraid of doing something wrong, harming her health or scaring her.
• The woman doesn't take care of herself.
• She begins to have thoughts of suicide.
• Reluctance to fulfill the duties of a mother and housewife.
• Insomnia, weight problems. Moreover, a woman can both lose weight sharply and quickly gain weight.

Postpartum depression: what to do

After being discharged from the maternity hospital, the woman is left alone with the child and a bunch of conflicting information about how to feed the baby and how to care for him. Grandparents visit mother and child from time to time, often just to look at the child, and not to provide real help to the mother. The spouse spends whole days at work and also does little to help.

And the image of a happy young mother with a smiling, contented baby that has developed in modern society only adds to the worries. The woman realizes that she does not fit into the standard framework and begins to think that she is a bad mother. As the child grows up, new reasons for worry are added.

To avoid getting depressed, try to follow these recommendations:

• Try to improve your sleep. To ensure your baby sleeps well at night, you need it before bedtime. bathe. In addition, he should feel comfortable - no wet diapers or feelings of hunger. A child's healthy sleep at night is a guarantee of your good rest. If your baby is practically doesn't sleep all night, then don't despair. A little time will pass and he will get tired again and fall asleep. Do not rush to do household chores at this time, go to bed. If you were unable to rest again, wait until your baby's next rest and sleep again. Do this until you get a good night's sleep.
• Optimize your household chores. Don't strive to be a model housewife. For example, do not iron things that can be left unironed - towels, bed linen, etc. No need to do daily cleaning. Parents want to see the baby? Put the baby in the stroller and send the grandmothers for a walk with him. You will have time to relax or do household chores, and grandmothers will look after the child and walk with him. In addition, do not rush to refuse the help that is offered to you, and do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it.
• Set a daily routine for your child. This will give you the opportunity to snatch a couple of hours for yourself after feeding, leaving the baby in the care of dad or relatives during this time. During this time, you will be able to take a walk or get yourself in order.
• Plan your time. Make a list of tasks for the day, distributing them by importance. During the day, try to complete all the tasks. But don't overthink it. After all, it is impossible to do everything with a child. Try to do the necessary things when your baby is resting.
• Keep track of your food. Often women, fearing harm to the baby, set a diet that is too strict for themselves. This can lead to depression. Talk to your doctor and decide together which foods are okay for you. Prepare dishes that do not require much time. If possible, buy yourself appliances that simplify the cooking process - a multicooker, an electric meat grinder, a blender, etc.
• Connect with other young mothers. Connecting with women like you will give you the opportunity to understand that other people are experiencing the same struggles as you. You are not alone, and you are not a terrible mother. Everything that happens to you is quite normal, you have nothing to reproach yourself for. Don't try to become a perfect mother, but just enjoy life and your baby.

Postpartum depression: treatment

If you do not have the strength to get out of postpartum depression on your own or the condition is already such that it is almost impossible to do this, then you will need the help of specialists, and possibly drug treatment. Basically, medications from the group of antidepressants are used to eliminate postpartum depression.

Of course, it is not advisable for a nursing mother to take any medications. But here you need to weigh everything and evaluate the harm from taking the pills and the harm to the child from the mother’s prolonged serious condition. In severe forms, depression will not disappear on its own; it is necessary to use medications. If you don't take them, the mother's condition will cause much more harm to the baby than taking antidepressants. As a last resort, you can always refuse breastfeeding in favor of artificial feeding. But keep in mind that the latest generation of antidepressants do not pass into breast milk. In this regard, they can be used to eliminate depression even by breastfeeding women.

In addition to antidepressants, a course of hormonal therapy is recommended to eliminate postpartum depression. This treatment gradually eliminates its manifestations. Hormonal therapy is also recommended to prevent the development of postpartum depression.

In conjunction with drug treatment, specialists prescribe psychotherapy. Typically, in this case, elements of interpersonal therapy are used, which corrects problems in an already established family. During the session, the psychotherapist finds out the causes of depression and the moments that provoked it. A woman looks at things differently and learns to solve problems.

Sometimes it is necessary for other family members to participate in psychotherapy sessions. This will help reveal problems within the family and learn how to solve them. It is difficult to say how many sessions will be needed to successfully solve the problem. The average number is up to 20. Of course, it is difficult for a young mother to find time to visit a psychologist, but this must be done in order to successfully cope with the illness.