A mother shared her experience thus: “When I had my baby, I had a really difficult birth experience. Despite this, I was so glad to be a mother again as my daughter was such a beautiful baby. Just a few days after her birth however and after we returned home from hospital, my joy turned to sadness as I started struggling to breastfeed my baby and she was crying a lot. Sometime during that first week home, I began to resent her. I loved her, but I dreaded taking care of her. On the day of the naming, 8 days after her birth, I was smiling but deep down I was not happy.
“My husband also got a new job and was working long hours so I was alone looking after a new baby and also having to take care of an older child. We also didn’t have help or any family members to help out on a regular basis. I was already emotionally and physically overwhelmed by the time my daughter was 3 months. I started suffering from sleepless nights, I then became depressed. In fact, I felt as if my world fell apart. I found myself daydreaming of ways to kill myself or my baby. I also felt strange in myself quite detached, like I was there but not involved in what was going on. I didn’t care. I just didn’t want to live. It was like I was in a bubble and I could see everyone, but they couldn’t see me. I knew something was wrong with me, but I didn’t know what. My husband and my mother both knew there was something wrong. Mum said that I’d gone into myself, that it was like I wasn’t there and so they suggested I go see a doctor.”
According to Professor Benedicta Oladimeji, a clinical psychologist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, “80 per cent of depressed psychiatric patients are women.”
She stated that though nobody has really been able to explain the statistic, it is known that women are analytical deep thinkers who go through various hormonal changes during pregnancy and childbirth that can make them prone to depression.
Oladimeji explained that, “it is well known that five days after delivery, women tend to be feeling low but gradually, they tend to come out of it. The feeling which is hormonal, it is called baby blues but some women may not get out of it as quickly as some others would. These low feelings could get deeper as time passes and the woman may end up in the hospital and could be diagnosed with depression.”
Oladimeji expressed the need for women to have adequate information about post partum depression and be prepared for anything after childbirth. “Every woman should be sensitised that if after the fifth day of delivery, she does not feel like she is coming out of the blues, she should tell her doctor so that something can be done quickly.”
Post partum depression according to mental health experts is a type of clinical depression that could affect box sexes after childbirth. However, mothers tend to be victims in 80 per cent of the cases.
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Is it normal for women to feel down after having a baby?
Some women experience low moods following child birth. However, most women are happy after they have given birth especially when the baby is healthy and there is little or no physical health complication as a result of the delivery.
What exactly is post partum depression (PPD) and how common is it?
Postpartum depression, which is sometimes also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which occurs in women within the first few weeks to months following childbirth. Some of the symptoms associated with postpartum depression include low mood, loss of interest, reduced energy, change in appetite, reduced or increased sleep, irritability, feeling of helplessness, worthless, inadequacy, thoughts of suicide or harming the child and weepy spells.
What causes PPD after childbirth?
Clinical observation points more to stress arising from the adjustments required due to the birth of the baby. These adjustments include the hard work required to care for the baby and the lack of adequate sleep in caring for the baby. This is even further worsened if there are other existing social stress factors such financial constraint, absence of spouse or partner, if the pregnancy was not wanted and so on.
Is there any difference between Post Partum Depression and Post Partum Anxiety?
There is no typically recognizable diagnosis in the international classification of Diseases called Postpartum Anxiety however both anxiety and depression are expressions of the mood therefore an individual can present with a mood disorder that appears as a mixture of both depression and anxiety occurring together.
How does depression generally differ from baby blues?
Postpartum depression and Baby blues have certain symptoms in common therefore they can be said to be at the opposite extreme ends of a common spectrum. The difference between both largely include the degree of impact on the individual’s functioning, the severity of the symptoms and the time of onset following delivery and how long it has persisted. Once there is marked impairment in the functioning of the individual and the symptoms persist for over 2 weeks then it is more likely to be postnatal depression than baby blues.
Who is at risk of suffering from PPD?
The biggest risk factor is if the individual has already experienced postpartum depression in her previous delivery. Other risk factors include poor family support, physical complications or limitations arising from childbirth, financial troubles or relationship and/or family problems. History of either personal or family experience of a mood disorder type of mental illness.
How can PPD be treated?
Depending on the severity of the symptoms and the degree of impairment of the individual’s functioning, basically the use of talk therapy (psychotherapy) or medications can be used to treat postpartum depression. Sometimes a combination of both forms of treatment may be required.
Is it safe for a mother who is suffering from PPD to take over-the-counter antidepressants while breastfeeding?
Anti-depressants are quite safe during breastfeeding and research has clearly shown that it helps with addressing the symptoms associated with postpartum depression.
Why is it important to seek treatment for PPD?
Treatment is often required though in some cases symptoms can spontaneously resolve without the use of medication. The suffering associated with postpartum depression can be incapacitating hence the need for early intervention.
Can a mother be suffering from PPD and not know it?
Anyone experiencing the symptom will definitely tell you that they are distressed and have various complaints however the individual may not be aware of the name of the condition or be able to properly put a label to their experience.
How can a partner (husband) help make life easier for a wife suffering from the condition?
A spouse or partner can help out with first identifying and then addressing the challenges in the home and possibly the baby’s care that may be contributing to the postpartum depression.
How informed are couples about PPD?
I will like to think that over the years, Nigerians have been better enlightened and more aware of various health challenges, including postpartum depression and are more open to receive treatment regarding it.
Are there supplements that can be taken during pregnancy to ward off baby blues?
There is currently no evidenced based research to support the claims of certain supplements being beneficial for the prevention of postpartum depression.
Does PPD only occur in first time deliveries?
No, it can occur in any delivery.
How soon can PPD be detected after delivery?
Symptoms can start within weeks up to 6 months following childbirth.
Is PPD restricted to only women (mothers)? How about fathers (men), can they suffer from PPD too?
By classical definition, the clinical disorder termed postpartum depression is female gender specific.
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