Postpartum depression: symptoms, signs, causes. What is postpartum depression and how to avoid it?

Already during pregnancy, a woman prepares for the future role of the mother on a psychological level, as well as all the difficulties ahead in this period. After giving birth, many ladies are afraid of breastfeeding and caring for the baby. There may also be a fear of the health of the newborn. However, very soon all fears remain behind, the woman calms down and gradually enters the role of the mother. Unfortunately, not all of this period ends safely. Some women have a painful state of anxiety, unjustified by objective reasons. In medicine, this kind of change is called depression. In this article, we will describe in more detail this state, the main reasons and ways to prevent it.

What is postpartum depression?

This is a fairly serious mental illness, formed exclusively in the postpartum period and characterized by a depressed mood, loss of past interests. This pathological condition most often occurs in the first or second week after the appearance of the baby.

This type of depression has a direct connection with social, chemical, and psychological changes in the life of a lady. Fortunately, this pathology is very treatable.

The chemical changes observed in the body are explained by the fluctuation in the level of hormones after childbirth. However, experts have so far failed to find a scientific confirmation of the relationship between hormones and depression itself. It is known that during the period of gestation the baby's level of progesterone and estrogen increases 10 times. After the birth of a child, these indicators fall sharply, and after another three days they return to the level that was before pregnancy.

Along with hormonal changes, social and psychological transformations also affect the onset of a depressed state.

Main reasons

It is not only possible to combat this condition, but it is also necessary. It is even better to prevent signs of postpartum depression and prevent the development of serious mental disorders. Not all born ladies are affected by this condition: someone could survive it very quickly and now, with the child, rejoices every new day, while others experience daily bouts of irritation and anger, as a result, it even comes to a divorce. Why is this happening? To prevent the development of depression, it is important to know its causes and try, as far as possible, to avoid them. The provoking factors:

• Unwanted or difficult pregnancy.
• Problems with breastfeeding.
• Conflicts with the father of the child (treason, quarrel, scandal, parting).
• A frustrated nervous system before the baby's birth.
• Excessive physical activity.
• Problems of a financial nature.
• Moral exhaustion.
• Lack of basic assistance from outside.
• Unjustified expectations.

Certainly, not all the causes of a depressed state depend on the woman. Often they are dictated by social and life conditions. However, the emotional state of the young mother directly depends on thoughts and daily mood, from attitudes towards life and others. That's why psychologists strongly recommend to reduce all negative emotions to a minimum.

Symptoms

How is postpartum depression manifested? How to understand that you have this problem, not another disease? After all, it can be the most usual fatigue from accumulated cases, which often passes independently. Specialists identify a number of signs indicating a depressive postpartum condition. If they occur, consult a doctor without delay. Only a specialist can confirm the presence of such a problem as postpartum depression.

• Symptom No. 1. Women's regular complaints about suffering due to loneliness and excessive fatigue. In addition, the mummy can be observed tearfulness, sharp mood swings, uncontrollable outbursts of anger. Already, family and friends should sound an alarm, because this is how postpartum depression begins.
• Symptom No. 2. Panic fear of the condition and health of the newborn. Very often a woman has a feeling of guilt due to the slightest failure. Also, suicidal thoughts may appear, a gloomy vision of the future.
• Symptom No. 3. Provoking conflict situations, daily tantrums, grumpiness. Relatives and relatives, as a rule, do not know the main reasons for this behavior of a young mother. However, it indicates that there is a postpartum depression.
• Symptom No. 4. Sensation of panic and anxiety, accompanied by a strong palpitation, loss of appetite, regular headaches, insomnia. Sometimes a woman has an irresistible desire to commit senseless, according to others, actions. Simple conversations with a young mother often end in serious scandals.

It is these symptoms that are followed by depression after childbirth. If you find one or two of the above signs, there is no reason to worry, as this can be a banal fatigue. If this figure is off scale, it's time to sound an alarm and immediately seek help from specialists.

Why is it important to understand the problem in time? The thing is that prolonged depression after childbirth, which in some cases can last for months, without the intervention of doctors often ends in psychosis. Such a state is characterized by confusion of consciousness, delirium, hallucinations, complete inadequacy. Of course, here it can already be a question of restricting mother's access to the baby.

What factors increase the likelihood of the disease?

There are several of them, and they all have different nature:

1. Age. The earlier a woman became pregnant, the higher the risk.
2. Loneliness.
3. Lack of psychological support from relatives and friends.
4. Ambiguous perception of pregnancy.
5. Children. The more children, the higher the chance of depression at each subsequent pregnancy.

Types of postpartum depression

Specialists distinguish three types of disorders of this nature, which are formed only after the birth of the child:

1. Postnatal spleen. Every woman is familiar with this condition, it is a normal reaction of the organism to the changes that have occurred. A young mother can have a dramatic change in mood. Only now she feels the happiest in the world, and in a few minutes begins to cry. The woman becomes irritable, intolerant, agitated. According to experts, postpartum spleen can last as several hours, and a couple of weeks. Such a condition does not need specialized treatment, as it often passes by itself.
2. Postpartum depression. Symptoms that characterize this condition, most often appear in a few days after the birth of the baby. They are similar to the signs of the postpartum melancholy (sadness, despair, irritability, anxiety), but they are manifested to a greater extent. During this period a woman, as a rule, can not perform her daily duties. When this happens, you should immediately seek help from a psychologist. Despite the complexity of this disease, depression after childbirth is amenable to therapy. Moreover, modern medicine offers a variety of solutions to this problem, so that every woman can choose the most acceptable option for herself.
3. Postpartum psychosis is the most serious mental illness diagnosed in young mothers. The disease appears unexpectedly and is rapidly developing (during the first three months after delivery). Initially, a woman loses the habitual ability to distinguish the real world from the imaginary, there are sound hallucinations. Other symptoms include insomnia, a constant nervous state, anger at the surrounding world. When the appearance of primary signs is extremely important to seek help from a qualified doctor. In some cases, even hospitalization is required, since there is a risk of harm not only to yourself, but also to the newborn.

When does the postpartum depression begin and how long does it last?

Postpartum depression is considered a more serious problem than the usual spleen. If the young mothers who have overcome the spleen have already managed to cope with all the difficulties and experience the joy of caring for the baby, then women with postnatal depression feel more and more unhappy and exhausted every day.

Sometimes a lady even before the appearance of crumbs in the world struggles with a depressed state, and the birth only aggravates the previous problem.

In some cases, the symptoms of this mental illness manifest themselves months after the birth of the baby. Initially, the young mother experiences exceptionally positive emotions and pleasure from communicating with the child, but after a while, all these efforts begin to be exhausted, and the woman feels unhappy and depressed.

How long is postpartum depression? It depends not only on the mother herself, but also on her surroundings. Very often a woman does not hurry to seek qualified help from a psychologist, believing that the problem will be solved by herself. Sometimes representatives of the fair sex are simply afraid to seek support because of complete disappointment in themselves and constant concern for the health of the child.

Of course, this attitude only aggravates the situation. Do not be shy about asking for help. First and foremost, psychologists recommend talking with relatives, telling all the worries. If they agree to take on some part of the household chores, Mom will have time to rest and even to consult with specialists.

What should be the treatment?

How to get rid of postpartum depression? This is the question most often asked by close and close women, who had to face this problem. First of all, you should seek qualified help. Trying alone to help a young mother is not recommended, as in some cases, taking medications and consulting a psychologist is required. Self-medication can only aggravate the current situation, which will lead to the development of postpartum psychosis.

Depending on the type and complexity, depression is treated either on an outpatient basis, or in a hospital setting. The decision on the latter option is taken solely on the basis of the identification of the risk of suicidal tendencies and the severity of the general condition. Modern medicine offers several methods of treatment:

• Psychotherapy. This treatment option is carried out either individually or in groups.
• Use of antidepressants.
• The use of tranquilizers.
• The appointment of neuroleptics (these drugs are responsible for reducing motor activity and obvious psychotic symptoms).

As a rule, the use of the above drugs implies a complete refusal of breastfeeding, as these funds can harm the child. It is important to note that any medicine should be taken only after consulting a doctor. When postpartum depression passes, the drugs are gradually canceled, and the woman returns to her usual life.

What should a husband do?

Psychologists recommend that relatives and friends help young mothers who encounter such a problem as postpartum depression. The causes of this disease, as is known, often lie in the lack of rest. A husband can help his wife by taking a number of household chores to meet the newborn's physical needs. It's no secret that this kind of frustration is less likely to be diagnosed in couples where husbands initially took an active part in common family affairs.

An invaluable support for a woman is also the fact that the spouse is ready to listen to all of her experiences and concerns, to cheer. It is recommended to avoid sharp criticism and condemnation.

Complications

The unpleasant consequences include the following:

• Prolonged depression (more than one year).
• Attempts of suicide.

In addition to the complications of medical nature, quite serious social consequences are possible. First of all, this is the breakup of the family. Indeed, the constant changes in the mood of a woman, dissatisfaction with her own life, increased irritability - all these factors often push both spouses to divorce. In addition, some women in a fit of despair decide to abandon the child. As a rule, this kind of situation is common among single mothers.

Prevention

How to avoid postpartum depression? The exact causes of this condition are still unexplored. That is why specialists can not offer effective measures for its prevention.

However, psychologists call a number of activities that, to some extent, contribute to reducing the likelihood of depression:

1. Pregnancy planning.
2. Preliminary preparation for future maternity (reading of specialized literature, course at the maternity home, conversations with a psychologist).
3. Identification and timely treatment of so-called postpartum blues (this state, characterized by emotional instability and tearfulness, develops after the child's birth).
4. Psychological support of pregnancy.

Conclusion

In this article, we described what constitutes postpartum depression in women. Symptoms and causes of this condition in each specific case may differ. It is important to remember that depression is primarily a rather serious illness. The very young mother is not to blame for the fact that she has to suffer so much. That's why it's just beyond the power of a woman to take control of herself and deal with the problem. After all, no man can not overcome the flu, diabetes or heart attack by force of will.

On the other hand, the attention of the husband and family helps a woman feel really loved. It will be much easier for her to find spare time for recreation or hobbies. This kind of care contributes to the rapid recovery of the young mother and her return to the family.