Postpartum depression does not only affect mothers. Why can it be extended to 3 years? | Mirror

You cannot deal with postpartum depression alone, you need medical and psychological treatment to be able to take the best care of your baby.

I am neither the first nor the last mother, is a sentence that women hear after childbirth, to reduce the weight of the burden on the mother’s shoulders, claiming that what a woman suffers is easy and easy to overcome with time, but the same phrase can become a crisis for a woman suffering from postpartum depression (Postpartum Depression).

In addition to the physical pains of childbirth and the tasks imposed by the responsibility of motherhood towards an infant, women suffer from a group of disorders that begin with feelings of tension, sadness and anxiety instead of joy, called the “baby blues.” , which is a stormy mood that lasts for several weeks after childbirth and gradually disappears, while postpartum depression lasts for several months and sometimes years if untreated.

What postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression or PPD is a form of clinical depression that begins after the birth of a child. Common symptoms include:

• Anorexia.
• Excessive crying or fatigue.
• Difficulty connecting with the child.
• Insomnia.
• Anxiety and panic attacks.
• Sometimes you feel very tired, angry, hopeless or ashamed.

No one knows for sure what causes postpartum depression, but like any other type of depression, it is likely to be caused by a number of different things, such as:

• Lack of hours of sleep.
• Your body is dealing with major hormonal fluctuations.
• The period of physical recovery from the effects of childbirth.
• You have new and challenging responsibilities.
• A feeling of isolation, loneliness and confusion in the midst of new obligations.

Postpartum depression is essentially a return to the state of not being pregnant, so those who have had a miscarriage can also suffer from many of the mental and physical effects of the postpartum period.

Moreover, couples can also be diagnosed with postpartum depression, although they do not experience physical changes, they experience a drastic difference in their daily lifestyle, and a 2010 analysis shows that about 10% of fathers were diagnosed with postpartum depression.

When does postpartum depression start?

Postpartum depression can start as soon as you give birth, but the mother probably won’t realize it right away, because it’s normal for the first few days after the baby to feel generally sad, exhausted and withdrawn, which is normal. the baby blues period.

The puerperal period generally includes the first 4-6 weeks after giving birth and many cases of postpartum depression begin during this period, but postpartum depression can also occur during pregnancy due to hormonal disruption during that period, and even up to a year after giving birth, so don’t rule out your feelings if they appear outside the usual postpartum period.

duration of postpartum depression

Because postpartum depression can occur anywhere from two weeks to 12 months after giving birth, there is no specific duration.

A 2014 review of studies on the condition found that symptoms of postpartum depression improve over time, with many cases of depression clearing up 3 to 6 months after onset.

However, in the same review, it was clear that many women continued to experience symptoms of postpartum depression up to 6 months after giving birth. While slightly less than half of the surveyed women still reported symptoms of depression 3 years after giving birth.

Why might it take you longer?

The time frame for postpartum depression varies from woman to woman, so if you have certain risk factors, you may find that postpartum depression lasts longer even with treatment. The severity of symptoms and how long they lasted before starting treatment can affect how long postpartum depression lasts.

Risk factors include a history of depression or other mental illness, difficulty breastfeeding, pregnancy or childbirth, or lack of support from your partner or family and friends.

Along with other major life changes that occur during the postpartum period, such as moving house or losing a job.

There’s no formula for determining who will and won’t experience postpartum depression, or how long it will last, but with the right treatment, especially if you get it early, you can find relief even if you have one of these risk factors.

How does it affect your life?

You already know that postpartum depression causes you some severe symptoms and can also affect your relationships with those around you, which may include your baby, and for this reason, treating and shortening the duration of your depression is a necessity that should not be delayed.

And if you isolate yourself from those around you, including your spouse, your marital relationship can undoubtedly suffer, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). When a person has postpartum depression, their partner is twice as likely to suffer from it as well.

Postpartum depression can affect your relationship with your baby. In addition to affecting the way you physically care for your baby, postpartum depression can affect the bonding process between mother and child after birth, and it can also damage your existing relationships with older children. .

Some researchers believe that postpartum depression can have long-term effects on a child’s social and emotional development. A 2018 study found that children of mothers with postpartum depression are more likely to have behavioral problems as toddlers and depression as teenagers.

treatment

You cannot deal with postpartum depression on your own, you need medical and psychological treatment. Also, receiving it quickly means that you will be able to continue to love and care for your child in the best possible way.

There are several treatment options, and you may need to use more than one strategy. There are also lifestyle changes that can speed up your recovery.