Fighting the blues after your baby is born (Part two)
Last week, Vanessa shared her experience with the baby blues (Post Partum Depression, PPD.) This week Dr Franklyn LaHee, Consultant Psychiatrist at the University Health Centre, highlighted some of the reasons why women may have PPD.
“They may become depressed because it is a stressful life event and then when their partners are not supportive during the pregnancy that may contribute to it,” he said, while explaining that inadequate socio-economic support would also influence this type of depression. He also explained that hormonal decline after giving birth was another contributing factor. This is because during pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogens and progesterone, in a woman’s body increases greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops and keeps dropping to the amount they were before the woman became pregnant. Researchers think these changes in hormones may lead to depression, just as smaller changes in hormones can affect a woman’s moods before she gets her menstrual period. Thyroid levels may also drop sharply after giving birth. (The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that helps to regulate how your body uses and stores energy from foods eaten.) Low thyroid levels can cause symptoms that can feel like depression, such as mood swings, fatigue, agitation, insomnia, and anxiety. A simple thyroid test can tell if this condition is causing a woman’s PPD. If so, thyroid medication can be prescribed by a health care provider.
“Some of them may have past episode of depression. Some of them may have depression and anxiety during the pregnancy and it may lead to disaster,” he said adding that family history can also be one of the reasons a mother may be affected by postpartum depression.
“Sometimes it is even the kind of delivery. Women like to keep their bodies intact and if you have a caesarean it might be something which precipitate this type of mood change,” he said. “Some women want the natural birth and may be disappointed when they have to do it that way”.
Meanwhile, Dr Ganesha Shetty, Child Adolescent Psychiatrist, says that unplanned pregnancies, especially among teenage mothers, can be one of the causes of this depression. While the doctors pointed out that there are no data available to show the prevalence of the condition in Jamaica, Dr La Hee said that one in every four pregnancies is affected.
PPD is treated through medication and psychotherapy. “Most depression, such as the ‘blues’, is self-limiting and can be worked through. If there is major depression, it is treated with medication such as anti-depressants,” LaHee said. “Another treatment can be through psychotherapy which is basically talking treatment. You don’t need medication, you just talk.” Shetty pointed out that postpartum depression affected women of all ages, economic status, and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Any woman who is pregnant, had a baby within the past few months, miscarried, or recently weaned a child from breastfeeding can develop postpartum depression.
The number of children a woman has does not change her chances of getting postpartum depression, the doctors said. New mothers and women with more than one children have equal chances of getting postpartum depression. Research has shown that women who have had problems with depression are more at risk for postpartum depression than women who have not had a history of depression. The experts recommend good, old-fashioned rest. Always try to nap when the baby naps.
. Stop putting pressure on yourself to do everything. Do as much as you can and leave the rest! Ask for help with household chores and night-times feedings.
. Talk to your husband, partner, family, and friends about how you are feeling.
. Do not spend a lot of time alone. Get dressed and leave the house – run an errand or take a short walk.
. Spend time alone with your husband or partner.
. Talk to your health care provider about medical treatment. Do not be shy about telling them your concerns. Not all health care providers know how to tell if you have PPD. Ask for a referral to a mental health professional who specialises in treating depression.
. Talk with other mothers, so you can learn from their experiences.
.Join a support group for women with PPD. Call a local hotline or look in your telephone book for information and services.
Victoria Rose is a freelance journalist.
