Post-Partum Depression (PPD): You Are Not Alone
There is a common belief that pregnancy is a magical time for all mothers, and that once the baby is born, maternal feelings and knowledge naturally kicks in. For many women, this may not be the case. Some women experience feelings of sadness, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or feel like they are incapable of taking care of themselves and/or the baby. Sasha’s story is an example of the struggle some women experience.
Sasha was 32 years old when she became pregnant with her second child, Ellie. When Ellie was born Sasha’s first child, Robbie, had just turned one years old. Having already experienced motherhood and the infant stages with Robbie, she felt very confused as to why she was struggling so much with the new baby. She felt alone and was experiencing what she now knows to be symptoms of postpartum depression. The thought of getting out of bed, showering, eating, or socializing seemed near impossible, and she found herself resenting her children and her husband. Ellie was having difficulty latching during breastfeeding so Sasha decided to pump and bottle feed. This struggle was affecting her self-esteem as a mother. As the depressive symptoms continued Sasha was experiencing weight loss, trouble getting herself to out of bed and moving, crying spells throughout the day most days, and felt so alone even when surrounded by her family. Her intrusive thoughts about not wanting to be a mother anymore were worrisome in her mind, and she felt too ashamed to talk to anyone about what she was experiencing. Sasha has a history of struggling with depression, but nothing quite compared to the feelings of guilt, shame, irritability, and resentment towards her husband and children that she was facing now being a mother of two under two. It felt as though everyone in her house hold needed her full attention, and she felt like she was drowning. It wasn’t until she broke down in her OBGYN’s office, opening up to her doctor that she was experiencing thoughts of not wanting to be alive anymore that she realized she needed help.
Many women experience symptoms like Sasha’s and are not aware that these types of feelings are common. Research show that around one in nine women can develop postpartum depression (PPD). According to Beck in 2006, as many as half of PPD in mothers goes undiagnosed because of conflict in privacy and not wanting to disclose to close family members.
Post-Partum Depression: What you should know
Symptoms include:
Feeling empty, sad, or overwhelmed
Feeling irritable or moody
Crying for no apparent reason
Having difficulty concentrating or with memory
Having difficulty making decisions
Not enjoying activities, you once enjoyed
Withdrawing from family and friends
Feeling like you are unable to care for yourself and/or your baby
Intrusive thoughts
Suicidal ideation
Those with a higher risk of postpartum depression:
Having a personal and or family history of depression or bipolar disorder
Were depressed during pregnancy
Having relationship or money problems
Have a baby with special needs
Have difficulty breastfeeding
Had an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy
Do not have support from friends or family
Younger than 20 years old
Have alcoholism, or use illegal drugs
Treatment and support
Postpartum depression is treatable with medication and counseling. Treatment can improve your symptoms or make them go away entirely.
SSRI’s or SNRI’s are prescribed to help produce serotonin in the brain and alleviate symptoms of depression. Having an open and honest conversation with your doctor about your symptoms will help determine which medication is best for you.
Counseling/ therapy offers support around normalizing these symptoms, learning the science behind why it is happening, and learning coping skills to alleviate symptoms
Postpartum Support International (PSI) is an online platform created to educate and support women and families experiencing postpartum depression (PPD). Below is their information:
Website: www.postpartum.net
PSI HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773 #1 En Español or #2 English
Note that PSI does not handle emergencies. In the case of an emergency call 911 or 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Abigail Hankins, MA, PCLC
References
Ari Andayani, A. A. (2023). Causal Factors Of Post Partum Depression. Proceeding Cendekia International Conference Health and Technology, 1, 518–524. Retrieved from https://proceedings.centamaku.ac.id/article/view/75
Postpartum support International https://www.postpartum.net/