Postpartum depression, also referred to as postnatal depression or 'the baby blues', is a type of clinical depression that usually affects women (though less frequently can also affect men) after a child has been born. Usually post-natal depression occurs within 3 months after you have given birth, but may appear up to the end of the first year, and your mood changes may be anywhere from mild to severe. Likely the result of hormonal fluctuations, post-natal depression can be exacerbated by factors such as changes in your body from pregnancy and delivery, lack of sleep, changes in your work and social relationships, and worrying about your ability to perform as a parent.
Signs and symptoms of post-natal depression include:
- sadness
- hopelessness
- agitation or irritability
- changes in appetite (i.e. increase or decrease)
- guilt
- low self-esteem
- feeling withdrawn or disconnected
- lack of energy
- difficulty concentrating
- negative feelings towards your baby
- inability to do simple tasks at home
- thoughts of death or suicide
- decreased sex drive
While the precise reasons post-natal depression occurs, some factors are thought to increase your risk of developing this type of depression:
- being under the age of 20 years old
- formula feeding instead of breast feeding
- cigarette smoking
- alcohol or drug abuse
- a history of depression
- chronic low self-esteem
- poor social and/or family support
- low socio-economic status
- having experienced a stressful event during your pregnancy or delivery, e.g. loss of a family member or an issue related to the baby
- poor marital relationship
- single parent status
- unplanned or unwanted pregnancy
If you think that you or your spouse may be suffering from post-natal depression, even to a mild degree, it is vitally important to your health and the health of your baby that you seek help immediately.
Once diagnosed with post-natal depression, your doctor will likely recommend appropriate support groups and individual counselling. In addition, there are a variety of methods of treatment that your doctor may recommend, that may include some medication and diet modification . Be sure to discuss potential side effects of any drug use.
Natural therapy is also excellent as part of your overall plan to getting over 'the baby blues'. Nutritional counselling can help to minimize symptoms, while acupuncture and TCM can help balance hormonal fluctuations. Yoga and massage therapy can help reduce your levels of stress, and generally make you feel better about yourself.
Contact us for a FREE consultation on how natural therapy can help you manage your symptoms of post-natal depression.
