One of the life-changing experiences is having a baby. Being a parent is interesting but also overwhelming and hard to endure. It is common to have feelings of doubt or worry if you are a first-time parent. You may have postpartum depression if you experience loneliness, frequent crying bells, severe mood swings, and sadness. Postpartum depression affects mothers after childbirth. Additionally, it disturbs the adoptive and surrogate parents. Continue reading to get an idea about postpartum depression and anxiety.
Symptoms of postpartum depression
The postpartum depression symptoms may interfere with your ability to carry out daily tasks and care for the baby. Mostly the symptoms start in a person after giving birth and last longer. The common symptoms visible to someone affected the postpartum depression and are given below:
- Sleeping too much or inability to sleep
- Pain attacks
- Appetite loss
- Intense anger and irritability
- The feeling of guilt, shame, or worthlessness
- Thoughts of harming your baby or yourself
- Hopelessness
- Chronic headaches
Postpartum psychosis
A specific condition prosper usually within the first week after delivery is known as postpartum psychosis. It leads to life-threatening behaviors or thoughts and needed instant treatment. A few postpartum psychosis symptoms include having sleep issues, obsessive thoughts, feeling confused, attempting to harm yourself, and more.
Causes of postpartum depression
There is no exact cause for postpartum depression because it results from a combination of physical and emotional factors. These include hormone changes, anxiety, lack of sleep, and self-image. The dramatic drop in progesterone and estrogen plays a great role once you give birth. This makes you feel depressed and more tired. Moreover, you may feel troubled by minor issues when you are sleep deprived.
Postpartum depression risk factors
Most pregnant women are at risk of this depression regardless of ethnicity, age, economic status, race, and more. The risk factors vary for each person and some think that it will lead to the great depression. Some of the postpartum depression risk factors are specified below.
- Medical complications at the time of childbirth such as having a baby with a disability, or premature delivery.
- Lack of emotional support from family, spouse, and friends.
- A stressful life event before or after the pregnancy such as personal illness, job loss, or death of a loved one.
- Other drug abuse or alcohol issues
- Disturbance to sleep patterns
- Unwanted or unplanned pregnancy
Postpartum depression treatment
You must contact a healthcare professional if you see any symptoms of postpartum depression. Certain therapies and medications help to cope with postpartum depression. Let's look at a detailed view of each one below.
Medications
Antidepressants are the most common type of medication for postpartum depression. It helps to relieve the depression symptoms within 6 to 8 weeks. You can pick the right antidepressants that are suitable for you. Each of the antidepressants contains various side effects such as feelings of anxiety or agitation, headaches, digestive issues, and more.
Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) along with medication reduces postpartum depression symptoms. Through this therapy, you can change your thinking patterns, attain greater confidence, and easily cope with difficult situations. Additionally, hormone therapy plays a great role to lessen postpartum depression. Some of the side effects of hormone therapy include hair loss, weight changes, high blood pressure, nausea, weight changes, and more.
