POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION New mothers sometimes have what is called Postpartum Depression after giving birth. Some new mothers think that they are failures because of what they are feeling. This is not a weakness or flaw in the mother it is a complication of childbirth. The signs or symptoms of Postpartum Depression (PPD) are long lasting, more intense, and they interfere with your ability to care or yourself and your baby. Symptoms of Postpartum Depression are, loss of appetite, insomnia, intense anger and irritability, overwhelming fatigue, loss of interest in sex, lack of joy in life, feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy, severe mood swings, difficulty bonding with the baby, withdraw from family and friends, thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. (Mayo Clinic, 2014) These can last months, or maybe years if not treated by a doctor. Women should not let embarrassment or be reluctant to ask their doctor for help. …show more content…
(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014) Medical field personnel’s say that there are many factors that can cause new mothers to suffer from Postpartum Depression (PPD). Some of the factors include physical changes after childbirth, a dramatic drop in hormones, emotional factors, sleep deprivation and the state of feeling overwhelmed, lifestyle influences, financial problems, older children, lack of support from your partner. (Mayo Clinic,
Roca, Catherine. "Depression During and After Pregnancy." April 2005. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Online. http://www.4woman.gov/faq/postpartum.htm. (17 Nov. 2005)
After giving birth, women will have hormonal oscillations (Rosequist). In the meanwhile, their bodies are getting back to their normal state, however if that “blues” does not go away, it can evolve in a deep depression. As she recalls, saying: “And yet I cannot be with him, it make me so nervous”(Gilman), it is obvious that Post-Partum depression is the cause of her poor attachment with the child; the mother can be hazardous to the baby; mood swing occur, and in extremes circumstances, about 1 in 1,000, it can bring psychotic indications (Hilts). If this condition if left untreated, it can cause serious psychological and physical damages. Treatment would include anti-depressants and therapy. This can also trigger other types of mental
Knowing the symptoms of postpartum depression is critical for a young mother's discovering that she may have the depress...
Before going into why I think the narrator has postpartum depression, I would like to discuss what it is. Postpartum depression is, " a complex mix of physical, emotional and behavioral changes that occur in a mother after giving birth"("WebMD"). The causes of this illness can be hereditary and can be changes in most women's hormones. Most mothers who experience postpartum depression love their children but feel that they won't be good at mothering. (HealthyMinds.org). An example of this in the story is when the narrator is discussing what little she can do and says, "It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous." (Gillman 105) We see from this quote that the narrator doubts her ability to take care of her baby.
Pregnancies are often correlated with the assumption that it will bring happiness to the household and ignite feelings of love between the couple. What remains invisible is how the new responsibilities of caring and communicating with the baby affects the mother; and thus, many women experience a temporary clinical depression after giving birth which is called postpartum depression (commonly known as postnatal depression) (Aktaş & Terzioğlu, 2013).
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story, The Yellow Wallpaper, portrays the life and mind of a woman suffering from post-partum depression in the late eighteenth century. Gilman uses setting to strengthen the impact of her story by allowing the distant country mansion symbolize the loneliness of her narrator, Jane. Gilman also uses flat characters to enhance the depth of Jane’s thoughts; however, Gilman’s use of narrative technique impacts her story the most. In The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses interior monologue to add impact to Jane’s progression into insanity, to add insight into the relationships in the story, and to increase the depth of Jane’s connection with the yellow wallpaper it self.
What would you do if your wife or your relative had postpartum depression after giving birth to her child? Would you try to help her by talking to her, or by taking her to a psychologist, or would you lock her in a house where she has no one to talk to and doesn’t get any professional help? Postpartum depression is a type of depression that occurs within three months following childbirth and symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, marked illogical thought, thinking of suicide, and fear of hurting the baby (Dictionary of Psychology 551). Recent research shows that postpartum depression affects 10 percent of women in the months following the birth of a child (Depression Statistics: Women Fact Information).
Postpartum depression is indeed a major psychological disorder that can affect the relationship between mother and baby. At this time, the cause of postpartum depression is unidentified, although several factors experienced during pregnancy can contribute to this disorder. Fluctuating hormone levels have been traditionally blamed for the onset of postpartum depression. Jennifer Marie Camp (2013), a registered nurse with a personal history of postpartum depression, states in the Intentional Journal of Childbirth Education that “current research demonstrates that PPD may be a compilation of numerous stressors encountered by the family, including biochemical, genetic, psychosocial factors and everyday life stress” (Camp, 2013, p. 1). A previous history of depression, depression during pregnancy, financial difficulties, a dif...
Postpartum depression syndrome is said to be a type of depression that typically is connected to pregnancy and childbirth and can be temporarily. Postpartum depression ranges from being moderate, like not that serious to severe depression after giving birth to a child. According to the National Institutes of Health. Postpartum depression syndrome tends to occur after the baby is delivered, may occur up to about a year later and many time occurs within the first 3 months after the delivery process. In postpartum depression syndrome, there are two types of forms that usually occur such as, early onset which is baby blues and late onset. Early onset range is mild. According to the National Institutes of Health, it may affect about 80% of women after they deliver and it starts after delivery and can be resolved within a couple of weeks without needed medical treatment involved. On the other hand, late onset is considered more severe and can be identified within several weeks after the delivery process and according to NIH, it tends to affect about 10% to 16% of women.
Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a period of depression that follows childbirth and lasts more than two weeks. It is experienced by up to 15% of women in the first three postpartum months (Camp, 2013). PPD is well represented in all ages, races, and cultures. The causes of PPD are currently unknown. There are many factors that place patients at a higher risk of developing PPD. These factors include history of PPD, depression during pregnancy, family strains, anxiety, and lack of support.
Your self-esteem is falling off, you have feelings of guilt, and you often talk negatively about yourself. You may often saying or thinking you are going to be a terrible mother, or that your partner will no longer be attracted to you after the baby arrives.
It is common for would-be moms to experience mood swings due to hormonal changes that affect neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the brain) levels.
Understanding the signs of postpartum depression can possibly help treat women earlier. There is a 4 time greater chance for mothers who experienced depression during pregnancy to develop postpartum depression (Camp, 2013). Some of the symptoms include loss of appetite, insomnia, agitation, fatigue, thoughts of suicide or infanticide, excessive worry, feeling incompetent, and anxiety (Letourneau et al., 2012). It is very important for these signs to be recognized as soon as possible for treatment. Postpartum “Baby Blues” can occur up to two weeks after having a child, but it progresses to postpartum depression when feelings last longer than two weeks, and anywhere during the child’s first year of life (Camp, 2013). Having any thoughts of harming oneself or an infant requires immediate attention. Women should be instructed to call their provider and make an appointment if signs of postpartum depression occur. At the office, providers use a scale to screen women for postpartum depression. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale reflects the woman’s mood over the past week with scores ranging from 0 to 30 with scores above a 12 is suggestive for signs of postpartum depression in women (Letourneau et al., 2012). The scale should be readily available at any facility. Many nursing lines are available to call to ask for support
Suffering from postpartum depression does not mean in any way that the new mother is crazy or a bad mother. The American Psychiatric Association defines postpartum depression as, “a major unipolar depressive disorder occurring within four to six weeks of giving birth and lasting for at least two consecutive weeks” (qtd. in Gao 304). With this simple definition, one can see that having this disorder does not make a new mother mad, it just puts a much greater toll on her. Chanel, for example, feels betrayed by her husband and her new baby, causing her functioning to become impaired emotionally, cognitively, behaviorally, and physically.
The changes a woman’s body goes through during a pregnancy can have a huge effect on the mental state of the mother. For example, the stress the woman is faces can lead to many different psychological issues. These problems can have even more significant effects on teen mothers. The mental effects a pregnancy can lead to in a teen include depression, anxiety, a higher risk for postpartum depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. These mental health conditions make the idea of becoming a parent even scarier and more difficult.