It can affect your health and how well you bond with your baby. It usually starts 1 to 3 days after the birth and can last for 10 days to a few weeks. They may feel anxious, confused, or have trouble eating or sleeping. You are at a greater risk if you have a family history of depression or have had depression before. No one knows exactly what causes postpartum depression. Postpartum depression needs to be treated. Talk to your doctor or call your local public health office.
Moms who are depressed may have trouble caring for their children. They may be loving one minute and withdrawn the next. They may respond to their child in a negative way or not respond at all. Your feelings and your behaviour will affect your ability to care for your children.
Attachment is a deep emotional bond that a baby forms with the person who provides most of his care. A mother responds to her crying infant, offering whatever she feels her baby needs—feeding, a diaper change, cuddling. It makes a baby feel safe and secure, and helps him learn to trust others.
Toddlers and preschoolers whose mothers are depressed may:. Teens whose mothers suffer from depression are at high risk for a number of problems such as major depression, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, substance abuse, ADHD, and learning difficulties. With treatment, most people recover from depression. Treatment can include one or more of the following:. Ten to fifteen per cent of women will be diagnosed with depression during pregnancy and in the postnatal period.
Common symptoms and signs of depression during and following pregnancy include:. There are many things that can contribute to, or make you vulnerable to depression, including:. If you have depression or anxiety during pregnancy you are more likely to have postnatal depression. It is important to get professional help and treatment during pregnancy, rather than leaving it until after your baby arrives. The first step to getting treatment is to see your GP.
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Prenatal depression is surprisingly common. Fortunately, help is available — and it can make a big difference for both mom and baby. Back to Top. In This Article. It's not easy being blue — especially when everyone around you thinks you're feeling rosy. Continue Reading Below. Recommended Reading. Postpartum Depression PPD. There is not enough information about which drugs are entirely safe and which ones pose risks.
But when treating major depression, the risks and benefits need to be examined closely. The medication that can offer the most help, with the smallest risk to baby, should be considered carefully.
If medication seems like the best treatment for your depression, forming a collaborative treatment team is the best course of action. This would include your prenatal care provider and your mental health provider. Ask both health care professions about what treatments will be best for you and your baby.
Find out if you have options for medications and do research on them. What long term effects do they have? Is your baby likely to deal with withdrawal symptoms after birth? Is this medication linked to health problems in the newborn or developmental delays in the future? Also, always remember that you need to weigh the possibilities of problems in the future versus the problems that can occur right now if your depression is not treated appropriately. With the controversy regarding the use of some antidepressants during pregnancy, many women are interested in other ways to help treat depression.
As mentioned above, support groups, psychotherapy, and light therapy are alternatives to using medication when treating mild to moderate depression. In addition to these, you may want to talk with your health care providers about some of the other natural ways to help relieve the symptoms of depression. If you do not feel comfortable talking with your health care provider about your feelings of depression, find someone else to talk with. It is important that someone knows what you are dealing with and can try to help you.
Never try to face depression alone. Your baby needs you to seek help and get treatment. Compiled using information from the following sources: U. Obstet Gynecol, Mar; 3
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