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Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression

After giving birth a woman goes through a myriad of emotions. The drop in hormones at such a rapid rate after giving birth can trigger feelings of depression. It is not uncommon for a woman to go through many emotional changes as she encounters the changes in her life a baby brings. Some women feel unattractive, some are still experiencing pain or had difficult births, and some may have relationship problems which can contribute to feelings of depression. For many these feelings subside yet others experience a more serious depression called postpartum depression. What are the differences? Baby Blues The … Continue reading →

Is Britney Spears Suffering From Postpartum Depression?

Shortly after Britney Spears had what the media calls her “meltdown” (which began with a self-induced head shaving, the addition of a couple of tattoos, multiple trips in and out of rehab, and a tirade, which included the young mom attacking a photographer’s vehicle with an umbrella… in the course of 36 hours), Hollywood insiders began to speculate that the pop princess may be suffering from more than just a substance dependency. Shortly after Spears’ head shaving incident “View” co-host Rosie O’Donnell hinted that the 25-year-old mother of two young sons may be suffering from postpartum psychosis. Of course, O’Donnell’s … Continue reading →

Postpartum Depression & Social Services

Most members of the church have at least a passing familiarity with Social Services. You may or may not know that the counselors there are prepared to help with postpartum depression. What I would like to share with you is the idea of utilizing the services before you suffer from the extended ‘baby blues’. The Social Services counselor I spoke with at an Enrichment activity a few years ago told me that he wished more people would use them before as well as after suffering from this serious depression. When my first two children were born, I suffered from severe … Continue reading →

Postpartum psychosis: What is it?

Postpartum psychosis is the most severe of the three postnatal conditions as outlined in Postpartum depression: What are the symptoms? It affects roughly one in 500 new mothers and generally manifests within the first fortnight after giving birth. The two predominant symptoms of postpartum psychosis are major depression and manic episodes. Severe manic or depressive episodes, often involving psychosis where the individual loses contact with reality, are a feature of the illness. It should not be confused with the milder depression symptoms experienced with postnatal depression. The symptoms typically begin 2 to 3 days after delivery but may occur as … Continue reading →

Postpartum depression: What are the symptoms?

The birth of a baby is both a happy and a stressful time for a woman. Months of anticipation are over, the infant has arrived and is healthy, and both sets of grandparents are beaming. But you’re not. Postpartum, or postnatal, depression can happen to any woman, and it can occur after one birth but not another. Mood changes after birth are so common as to be almost expected, and most new mothers are taught to expect emotional “ups and downs” as a natural part of the birthing experience. There are three types of mood disturbances that can manifest in … Continue reading →

New Moms Are at Risk for More than PPD

One of the largest studies ever conducted on postpartum mental illness has found that first time moms are at a much greater risk for a variety of mental illnesses during the first three months after giving birth. Not just post partum depression but other more serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The Study Danish researchers looked at the records of one million women over a course of 32 years from the time their child was born. According to their data, new, first time mothers are seven times more likely to be admitted to a mental hospital for … Continue reading →

Depression in babies and young infants

Could you ever imagine a tiny baby being depressed? Although hard to believe, researchers have noted classic signs of depression in young babies, even those under the age of six months. Although most people associate the occurrence of depression with a series of negative life events, it has now been recognized that even babies as young as six months can display symptoms of depression. In particular, infants of depressed mothers exhibit depressive behaviors, such as a lack of responsiveness and interaction with others, lack of interest in their environment, unhappy facial expressions (as opposed to outright crying), and slow movements. … Continue reading →