PREGNANT
WOMEN
Nearly
14 percent of all pregnant women experience depression. The peak
for prenatal depression is around the 32nd week of pregnancy, though
pregnancy-related depression can begin earlier or later.
Symptoms
of pregnancy-related depression are similar to other forms of depression:
depressed mood, decreased pleasure or interest in regular activities,
insomnia or excessive sleep, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings
of worthlessness or excessive guilt, decreased ability to think
or concentrate, indecisiveness, changes in eating patterns, and
sometimes recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
With
prompt treatment, these symptoms can go away. Treatment usually
begins with talk therapy. Sometimes medication is also necessary.
This is a decision women need to discuss carefully with their doctors.
Getting
treatment early greatly reduces risks for pregnant women and their
babies. Women with depression during pregnancy are also likely to
experience post-partum depression, especially if they do not get
help during pregnancy.
Pregnant
women whose depression is untreated are at greater risk of having
low birth-weight babies than women who are not depressed during
pregnancy. They also have a higher likelihood of smoking during
pregnancy, using drugs or alcohol, or having trouble maintaining
eating habits that nourish them and their babies.
It
may be difficult to talk about depression during pregnancy, since
it is supposed to be such a happy time. But it’s important
to get help.
To
see a screening test, click here.
Para
ver una prueba de investigación, chasque aquí.
WHEN
IS IT “JUST THE BLUES?”
The
baby blues are common in the first few days after a woman has a
baby. Up to 80 percent of new mothers experience this feeling of
letdown. Symptoms may include crying for no apparent reason, impatience,
irritability, restlessness and anxiety.
These
symptoms usually disappear without treatment. But if the feelings
continue past the first two weeks, it’s more than “just
the blues.”
POSTPARTUM
DEPRESSION
Postpartum
depression usually begins two weeks to three months after birth
(though it may begin six or even nine months after birth). If a
woman has been depressed during her pregnancy, she may feel depressed
immediately after delivery.
PPD
cuts across age, economic, and ethnic boundaries. Possible causes
include a particular sensitivity among certain women to fluctuations
in hormone levels. Other causes may include a genetic predisposition
to depression, stress, isolation, and difficult life circumstances.
A woman
is at higher risk for PPD if she has a previous history of depression,
bipolar disorder, severe PMS or mood changes during her menstrual
cycle, or a depressive reaction to birth control pills. A family
history of mood disorders also increases the risk. Life stressors
such as relationship problems, isolation, lack of family support,
financial trouble, and recent loss of a loved one also are risk
factors
Like
pregnancy-related depression, postpartum depression has the same
symptoms as depression at other times of life. These may include
feelings of guilt, hopelessness and helplessness, difficulties with
eating or sleeping, diminished pleasure in life, irritability, difficulty
concentrating and making decisions, and thoughts of self-harm.
A
new mother with depression may cry for no apparent reason. She may
have panic attacks, be highly anxious about the baby, or be surprisingly
unconcerned. Even the best mother may feel ashamed, overwhelmed,
or guilty about being a “bad mother” when she is depressed.
Some mothers have frightening, recurrent thoughts about harm coming
to their babies. All of these may be symptoms of PPD.
To
see a screening test, click here.
Para ver una prueba de investigación,
chasque aquí.
Untreated
postpartum depression increases a woman’s lifetime risk of
recurrent depression. And the longer depression goes untreated,
the more likely a baby is to be affected by the mother’s depression.
Untreated maternal depression can result in long-lasting emotional
and behavioral problems in children.
POSTPARTUM
DEPRESSION IS VERY TREATABLE
With
prompt treatment, women can free themselves of depression. They
can feel like themselves again. Effective treatment can include
individual and family counseling, support groups, and in some cases
medication. With treatment, women can escape the shadows and come
alive to themselves, their family members, and their babies.
DEPRESSION
AMONG NEW FATHERS
New
fathers are less likely to be depressed than new mothers. But while
most attention has been directed at new mothers, research indicates
there is a significant incidence of depression among new fathers.
A recent study found that by age 3 ½, children whose fathers
had depression during the children’s infancy were at higher
risk of emotional and behavioral problems and hyperactivity. New
fathers as well as new mothers need to care for their emotional
well-being.
POSTPARTUM
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
About
2 – 3 percent of the population has obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD). The postpartum period seems to be a time that OCD can emerge,
or that mild pre-pregnancy OCD symptoms can become more severe.
Many
people with OCD hide their symptoms because they seem so “crazy.”
So it’s important to understand that OCD is a disease. Treatment
can decrease the symptoms or make them go away. People who have
OCD are not “crazy.” They recognize that their obsessions
and compulsions do not make sense, and often want desperately to
be rid of them.
An obsession is an intrusive, uninvited thought or image that comes
to your mind. The thought is unwanted, but you cannot rid yourself
of it, even when you try hard to resist. A compulsion is a ritualistic
behavior that you feel you must do to reduce distress or prevent
a feared event.
New
mothers with OCD may have persistent, troubling thoughts of harm
coming to their babies (for example, recurrent images of suffocating
the baby, falling downstairs, or watching the baby be kidnapped).
What marks these thoughts as obsessions is that the mother knows
the thought is unlikely and knows she would never act upon it, but
cannot rid herself of it.
New mothers also may have compulsive behaviors (for example, washing
the baby and everything the baby might come in contact with over
and over and over again every day due to tormenting concerns about
germs or contamination). When obsessions or compulsions become persistent
rather than fleeting, when they interfere with daily living, then
it’s time to seek help.
POSTPARTUM PANIC DISORDER
About
one in twenty women experience acute panic episodes during the postpartum
period. Many of these women have a history of panic disorder or
generalized anxiety disorder. Women with postpartum panic symptoms
often also have symptoms of postpartum depression.
Panic attacks are short, but highly distressing, periods of intense
fear. People with panic attacks often experience physical symptoms
such as heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea,
tingling, hot flashes or chills, and chest pains. They may feel
they are going crazy, losing control, or somehow disengaged from
the world.
Because
panic attacks can be so disturbing, many people are highly vigilant
during the hours, days, and even weeks that follow a panic episode.
They may feel anxious. They may be hyper-alert to physical signs
of another panic attack. They may be absorbed by fears about repeated
attacks even during long lulls when they do not experience any symptoms
of panic.
Treatment
enables people to control their panic, instead of letting panic
control them. Stress reduction techniques, cognitive-behavioral
therapy, and medication are highly effective in treating postpartum
panic disorder.
POSTPARTUM
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
While uncommon, childbirth can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), or re-activate symptoms of a previous trauma. PTSD occurs
when a person has experienced or witnessed an event involving actual
or threatened danger to the self or others, and responds with intense
fear, helplessness or horror. Women with postpartum PTSD may have
flashbacks, repetitive and disturbing memories of childbirth, feelings
of numbness or detachment, heightened irritability, sadness, or
fearfulness.
POSTPARTUM
PSYCHOSIS
Postpartum psychosis is a very rare (one woman in a thousand) but
severe disorder. It generally appears within two weeks after childbirth,
and often has a sudden, intense onset. It may include hallucinations,
delusions, or bizarre feelings or behavior. Symptoms also can include
paranoia, frantic activity, extreme confusion, and incoherent speech.
Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency. If a friend or family
member shows symptoms of postpartum psychosis, she should see her
doctor immediately, go to the emergency room, or be seen at a crisis
center. Prompt treatment is essential.
GETTING
HELP
Depression and anxiety can steal away hope, making even the first
step towards getting better seem impossible. If you, a friend, or
a family member is experiencing symptoms we’ve discussed,
it’s important to tell your doctor what you’re feeling.
See a health professional for an assessment. If you need treatment,
individual and family counseling, support groups, and medication
can help you recover and thrive. And it can make a world of difference
for your baby.
For more information and resources,
click here.
These feelings can seem bewildering, even shameful. They’re
hard to talk about when people around you say how beautiful your baby
is, and how happy you must be. Yet feelings of anxiety and depression
during pregnancy and after birth are common. Prenatal and postpartum
depression and anxiety are common. With treatment, these feelings will
end. The earlier a pregnant woman or new mother gets help, the better
for her, her baby, and other family members. It’s important to
know the signs, and how to get help.