Postnatal Depression
By: Tsou JinyeuTotal Views: 220, Word Count: 574,
Once your baby arrives all may not seem as rosy as imagined. A baby brings about drastic changes in a couple’s life. The day-to-day care for the new born baby is a challenge. You will feel suddenly as though you have no time to sleep and eat, or even to spend with your partner. You may feel anxious and stressed about your new role and responsibilities. All these changes can bring about depression in a woman’s life post birth. Most women face depression immediately after delivery, but it goes away in a few weeks time. But if the woman experiences depression even months after the delivery, then it is termed as postnatal depression.
Common symptoms of postnatal depression are:
- You seem to be crying a great deal, or crying on small and trivial issues.
- You aren’t confident about your skills as a mother.
- You cannot sleep even if your baby is asleep.
- You feel very scared to be alone.
- You feel as if you are not a good mother.
- You get easily irritated and you feel irritable in the presence of other people such as your partner, baby or other family members.
- You feel like getting back in shape and do away with the weight that you have gained.
- Sometimes you may find yourself hating yourself and your baby.
- You don’t feel like having sex.
- You feel as though you can’t cope up with any housework.
- You feel very anxious and uncertain about several things, such as shopping or meeting friends.
- You may either become finicky or not bothered about anything at all.
- You may have some obsessive thoughts which can sometimes even be harmful.
Once you recognize that you are undergoing postnatal depression, you need to speak with your partner about it. You should also fix an appointment with your doctor and speak to him about your symptoms.
Treatment for postnatal depression:
You and your doctor must work out together the best mode of treatment for you. When you meet the doctor,
- Take someone else with you; this will help you make a better decision.
- Ask him everything you want to know, if you don’t understand something he is saying then ask him to explain things to you.
- You doctor may suggest that you visit a psychologist, don’t get offended as this can be very helpful.
Your doctor will most likely give you antidepressants if you’ve been suffering from severe postnatal depression.
But it is important to weigh the risks associated with the drugs, if your breastfeeding. Some of the drug may go to your baby, through your breast milk. Hence, it is important for you and your doctor to discuss things through and come out with the best fit solution. There are some antidepressants which are safe to take even when the mothers are breastfeeding.
It is a good idea to speak to other women who may have suffered with similar problems post delivery. Last but not the least, postnatal depression is very common and can be treated easily, so do not worry about it.
About the Author
Dr Tsou Jinyeu is a well known gynecologist and has been in this field since 1995. His special interests are – genetic and birth defects, high risk obstetrics, lupus in pregnancy, premature labour, premature delivery, triplets and ultrasound diagnosis. He is graduated from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Nowdays he is working as a medical doctor at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health.
Advice Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote