Postpartum Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

The Postpartum depression Is a very common syndrome among women who have just been a mother, but not all the symptoms that are experienced later Indicate that the child is suffering from A depression .

In this article we will review what are their most effective characteristics, symptoms, causes and treatments.

Postpartum depression

Characteristics of postpartum depression

It is a disorder that is part of depressive disorders, which are quite common in the general population (Especially in women), and may occur at any time in life.

Also, as the name implies, it is a depressive disorder that can be moderate or severe, which occurs in the woman after giving birth.

However, the presentation of this depressive (or depression), does not have to occur immediately after the birth, but can be Present within a few days after delivery, up to one year after giving birth. Most times it usually appears about 3 months after the Birth of the child.

So if the symptoms appear within a few weeks of giving birth, it could be a Postpartum depression.

It should be noted that this disorder causes suffering and discomfort both in the person who has it and in its core Family, and affects the health of the newborn.

Thus, it is clear that PD is a serious depressive disorder that has the peculiarity of developing in women during the days or Weeks after childbirth.

Let's go to time to see what are the typical symptoms of this disorder to have a little more clear what are their characteristics .

What are the symptoms of postpartum depression?

Depression after childbirth

Like all depressive disorders, PD is characterized by a large number of symptoms.

You probably already know what are the most characteristic symptoms of depression such as feelings of sadness, crying or lack of interest in the things.

However, beyond the most popular ones, PD can present a great variety of symptoms, which can be Of equal or even greater importance.

These symptoms are as follows:

1. Sadness : Is the most frequent symptom. The woman with PD has a depressed mood and often feels unhappy, unhappy and anxious Of crying permanently.

2. Changes in appetite: and It is quite common for appetite and food intake to change significantly, either increasing or decreasing. This symptom is often reflected in the Weight of the patient, which increases or decreases significantly.

3. Irritability and agitation: and The depressive disorder usually provokes a more irritable and agitated state of the woman in front of her husband, relatives, even with the newborn son.

4. Feelings of worthlessness or guilt: L Feelings of sadness are often accompanied by these feelings. The woman usually feels useless and guilty for having depression and not being able to Take good care of your newborn child.

5. Absence of pleasure: C As with all depressive symptoms, this is a practically omnipresent symptom in every PD. The patient with depression will be very difficult to Take interest or experience pleasure with nothing.

6. Insomnia and It is very common for PD to be accompanied by great difficulty in falling asleep, and to take time and rest periods Changed.

7. Loss of energy and fatigue: L Depression causes a much higher fatigue than usual, with a remarkable loss of energy and difficulty in performing any task, falling Thus in inactivity ( Asthenia Has similar symptoms).

8. Anxiety or In women with PD tends to present states of anxiety manifested through a feeling of fear of not being able to care for their newborn, not Wanting him enough or being unable to be alone with him.

9. Disconnection: L Postpartum depression usually causes a person with a certain difficulty to pay attention to the most relevant aspects of their life, and it is shown Disconnected from their context and focused on their concerns.

10. Loss of concentration Likewise, postpartum depression often causes a marked loss of ability to focus on anything.

11. Thoughts of death or suicide: Postpartum depression is a serious disorder, and so it should not be surprising that at some point in the episode ideas of death or suicide.

12. Problems to do domestic or work tasks: Postpartum depression is usually very disabling, so except for milder cases, it is usual to disable the person who suffers it to follow With their working life, and in many cases to perform household tasks.

13. Inability to care for the baby or herself: Although it may seem strange that a mother is unable to care for her newborn baby, it should be noted that PD is a disorder Depressive, and as such may incapacitate the mother to take care of her child and even of herself.

14. Negative feelings towards the baby: The origin that identifies the mother as the cause of her depressive state is the birth of her child, so the negative feelings made the baby (although Cause discomfort to the mother) are usually present during the episode. Even in the most severe cases you may think about harming your baby. Do not Obstacles these thoughts rarely materialize.

Puerperal psychosis: a Although not many, some extreme episodes of postpartum depression may be accompanied by psychosis . This psychosis is characterized by a loss of Contact with reality, strange ideas, confusion, agitation and lack of absence of sleep.

These 15 symptoms are characteristic of postpartum depression, but this does not mean that if you suffer any of them you have to have it, Nor that to suffer it you have to present them all.

Let us see, then, where the diagnosis of postpartum depression is headed.

What is your diagnosis?

Diagnosis postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is defined as the development of a Major depressive episode During the first 4-6 weeks postpartum, although in the Practice this episode may occur up to about a year after giving birth.

The clinical picture usually presented by women who suffer from it is the same as that characterizing a major depression, ie, PD Is not qualitatively different from the other depressive episodes that occur in contexts other than postpartum.

Therefore, in order to diagnose a PD, most of the following aspects must be present during the weeks or months After childbirth:

  • He State of mind You should be depressed most of the day, almost every day while the depressive episode occurs.

  • There should be a significant decrease in interest and / or pleasure in practically all activities.

  • You should witness a loss or a significant increase in weight without performing any type of diet or program aimed at weight loss.

  • Failure or excess sleep should occur frequently.

  • Fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, impaired thinking, agitation, or recurring ideas of death should appear. habitual.

Although roughly these are the defining points of PD, this diagnosis must be scrupulously performed by a psychiatrist or Clinical psychologist, through a detailed exploration of signs and symptoms in the context of a clinical interview.

How do I know if I have postpartum depression?

Woman with depression

Although the diagnosis of a depressive disorder such as PD is to be performed by a clinical practitioner, during pregnancy and The birth occurs naturally, multiple changes in the body (hormonal, physical, psychological, etc.)

It enters within the expected thing, that this series of changes can produce diverse emotional variations, appearance of new feelings or presentation Of unusual thoughts; And these minor alterations do not necessarily have to be interpreted as the beginning of a depression.

In this situation, it would be convenient to analyze the changes that you notice after the birth, and go to a medical professional when:

  • Your depressed mood and feelings of sadness do not go away or subside after about two weeks of childbirth.

  • Notes that some of the symptoms described above are getting more intense.

  • It is becoming increasingly difficult for you to do housework, take care of your child or perform basic self-care or self-care activities.

  • You have thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby.

If I suffer postpartum depression I'm a weirdo?

woman crying

Admitting a DP after giving birth to your child is often a difficult and costly task for all it implies.

However, this disorder is quite common among women who have just been mothers in our population.

It is estimated that this disorder affects 13% of women after childbirth, and can affect up to almost 30% in adolescent mothers.

Causes of Postpartum Depression

At present the causes that make up the appearance of PD are not exactly known.

However, many different factors have been found that can affect a woman's mood after giving birth. These are the Following:

Psychosocial factors

There are a number of psychosocial components that may act as risk factors in PD. Anxiety, depression or events Stressors during pregnancy may increase from having DP after the baby's birth.

Likewise, having little social support during pregnancy or the stages prior to pregnancy, or having presented depressive episodes before pregnancy and Childbirth may also increase the risk of developing PD.

Biological factors

The regulation of certain hormones maintains a close link with the PD disorder. Low levels of Estrogens (Which already Decrease with pregnancy) and progesterone, increase the possibility of suffering from PD.

Likewise, women with PD have high levels of glucocorticoids and low levels of tryptophan and folic acid during the pregnancy.

Childbirth

Having very high expectations regarding childbirth can cause that when it is time to give birth, that perspective is disillusioned, and believes Frustration in the mother.

Many cases of women with PD have experienced complications or traumatic births, premature births of their children or Health problems in the newborn.

Preconceived ideas of maternity

Often motherhood is conceived as a time when the woman must be radiant, vital and able to perform all tasks perfectly.

Women who maintain this perception about motherhood and who once are mother present difficulties in performing all the tasks that are Present, may be more likely to initiate postpartum depression.

How can it be treated?

Happy mother

The first choice intervention for severe depressive episodes is pharmacological treatment, usually drug administration. Antidepressants .

However, despite the fact that antidepressants have efficacy more than shown to reverse depressive episodes, in postpartum depression the consumption of Should be monitored very closely, because of the possibility of affecting the baby through the lactation .

Thus, treatment with antidepressants is ruled out in women with PD who are breastfeeding, as it could be very harmful For the newborn

With regard to psychotherapy, interventions such as Cognitive behavioral treatment , Support for the couple or interpersonal psychotherapy have Showed its effectiveness in PD, so it is recommended to complement the pharmacological treatment with psychological therapy.

Do you know postpartum depression? Show us what you know about this disorder so we can help readers!

References

  1. Arbat, A, Danes, I. Postpartum depression. Fundació Institut Català de Pharmacology. University Hospital Vall Hebron 2003. 121 (17): 673-5.
  2. Burt VK, Stein K.
    Epidemiology of depression throughout the female life cycle. J Clin Psychiatry 2002; 63: 9-15.
  3. Gavin N, Gaynes B. Perinatal Depression. A Systematic Review of Prevalence and Incidence. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ; 2005. p. 106.
  4. Mauruga, S. Analysis and Prevention of Postpartum Depression. Institute of Women. nineteen ninety six; 84: 505.
  5. Sohr-Preston SL, Scaramella LV. Implications of timing of maternal depressive symptoms for early cognitive and language development. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev . 2006; 9: 65-83.
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