What is postpartum depression and how is it treated?

The Postpartum depression is the type of depression experienced by new moms mostly between the third week to the first year of the childbirth. This is a common problem experienced after the delivery.

Symptoms of Postpartum depression

• Being a new mom, you might suddenly feel terrified and feel that you are unfit for this responsibility and can’t handle this anymore. You feel like leaving everything in search of peace.

• You start feeling guilty for not being a good mom and might start crying for simple things like checking diaper on time or nursing before the baby cries.

• You might also start thinking that you are lacking that magical bonding shown in movies or daily soaps, but doing everything as a simple duty.

• You feel some void and numbness inside you and as if everyone is flourishing and happy except you. The improper sleep timings of your baby may also add to it.

• You feel deserted and annoyed. You might also feel resentment with rage towards your husband, baby, and all others.

• At times this gets severe and you might feel like taking some pills or running away from home or driving off the road or do something extreme, to end this misery in your life.

Causes of this Depression

The main causes of this Postpartum depression are

• Hormones: The sudden hormonal changes in the body, before and after the childbirth are the main cause for PPD.

• Stress: When you are not prepared to have a child yet and the situations make you continue your pregnancy, you may face this depression.

• History: The family history of having this Postpartum depression can also be a reason for this.

Treatment for PPD

• Be Peaceful: Take someone’s help but try to immediately resolve your problems with having food on time and getting some good sleep.

• Speak up: You better speak about this to some elders in the family who can help you or go to a psychiatrist who can help you come out of it.

• Anti-depressant: Talk to your doctor to get some anti-depressant pills, which balance the chemical reaction to depression.

• Preventive: In case you have a previous episode of Postpartum depression, your doctor may suggest you a preventive medicine while you are planning for a second child.

Any problem can be solved with trust and patience. When you start watching your child grow day-by-day beautifully, Post Partum Depression also vanishes off.