{"id":6292,"date":"2015-09-24T15:54:40","date_gmt":"2015-09-24T12:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/?p=6292"},"modified":"2015-09-24T15:55:09","modified_gmt":"2015-09-24T12:55:09","slug":"when-your-wife-is-depressed-after-giving-birth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/when-your-wife-is-depressed-after-giving-birth\/","title":{"rendered":"When your wife is depressed after giving birth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having a baby is a time of joy and excitement for many women. But, for some, giving birth can prompt deep feelings of anxiety and sadness.<\/p>\n

When these feelings are long-lasting and interfere with daily life and relationships, they\u2019re known as\u00a0postpartum depression\u00a0(PPD). Don\u2019t\u00a0ignore them.<\/p>\n

\"postpartum-depression-130806\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s common to experience constant worry that something is going to happen after the birth of a child, and these feelings are often irrational,\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOverwhelming guilt is also a common feeling, since most women recognize that something is not right, and they believe they should be feeling excited and happy. But, they can\u2019t seem to get on top of their depression,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

PPD also strikes women who experience a pregnancy loss\u00a0or stillbirth.<\/p>\n

Knowing how frequently PPD occurs and what it looks like can help alert friends and relatives or convince a woman suffering from this condition to get help.<\/p>\n

How common is PPD?<\/h3>\n

A less severe form of PPD, often called postpartum blues or \u201cbaby blues,\u201d affects up to 50 percent of women, but symptoms usually disappear after two\u00a0weeks.<\/p>\n

\"Post
womanPPdep<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Up to 15 percent of women develop PPD symptoms that persist beyond two weeks. Among mothers who have experienced PPD previously, the risk increases \u2013 up to 50 percent develop this type of depression again, Dr. Starck says.<\/p>\n

Some women are more at risk<\/h3>\n

\"woman_with_stomach_pain\"<\/p>\n

Although any woman can develop PPD, there are several factors that increase the risk level:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A drop in estrogen\u00a0or progesterone levels<\/li>\n
  • Previous experience with depression and anxiety (personal or family history)<\/li>\n
  • Marital dysfunction<\/li>\n
  • Acute stressors (e.g., the death of a loved one)<\/li>\n
  • Exposure to toxins or pollution<\/li>\n
  • Poor diet<\/li>\n
  • Low\u00a0social support<\/li>\n
  • Difficult infant temperament<\/li>\n
  • Expectations of motherhood don\u2019t align with reality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Signs of PPD<\/h3>\n

    Women suffering from PPD notice a wide variety of signs and symptoms:<\/p>\n

    They can feel sleepy, but often are unable to actually fall asleep when the opportunity arises. They also may have a lack of motivation and appetite. Commonly, they feel overwhelmed and\/or\u00a0inadequate. Chest pressure and heart palpitations are other symptoms. And they may have crying jags and become easily tearful.<\/p>\n

    \"woman_experiencing_chest_pain\"<\/p>\n

    Effects of postpartum depression<\/h3>\n

    PPD can negatively affect more than the mother as an individual. It can also lead to:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Limited bonding\u00a0between mother and child<\/li>\n
    • A breakdown in relationships with significant others and family members<\/li>\n
    • Weight loss<\/li>\n
    • A drop in milk supply, for those who are breastfeeding<\/li>\n
    • Increased fussiness in the newborn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Show of support is key<\/h3>\n

      \"20140325_business_woman4\"<\/p>\n

      Many women who develop PPD find it difficult to talk about the problem or recognize what\u2019s happening. In those cases, those around her can help, Dr. Starck says.<\/p>\n

      \u201cIf you suspect a loved one is experiencing depression, it\u2019s important to be supportive and acknowledge the challenges of having a newborn,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

      If someone you know shows signs of PPD, take these 5 steps:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Encourage her to seek medical care<\/li>\n
      2. Introduce her to someone who has also experienced and worked through PPD<\/li>\n
      3. Minimize the time she spends alone (at least until symptoms improve or treatment takes effect)<\/li>\n
      4. Help build her confidence<\/li>\n
      5. Reduce her responsibilities<\/li>\n
      6. \"ppd-woman-in-bed-with-newborn\"<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        <\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Having a baby is a time of joy and excitement for many women. But, for some, giving birth can prompt deep feelings of anxiety and sadness. When these feelings are long-lasting and interfere with daily life and relationships, they\u2019re known as\u00a0postpartum depression\u00a0(PPD). Don\u2019t\u00a0ignore them. \u201cIt\u2019s common to experience constant worry that something is going to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6301,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[427],"tags":[649,1518,1517],"class_list":["post-6292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-427","tag-depression","tag-peurpural-depression","tag-post-partum","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6292"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6305,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6292\/revisions\/6305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seragpsych.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}