Help for Postpartum Depression

With the right support, treatment, and advice, you can emerge stronger from a bout of postpartum depression.

   Postpartum depression strikes 10 to 15 percent of all women after they give birth, many times arriving without any warning signs. It can be especially difficult to deal with because most women expect to feel happy, not sad, after the birth of a child.

    It's easy for the symptoms of postpartum depression to get lost in the sleeplessness and occasional, normal baby blues that follow a birth. But if postpartum depression is truly the issue, it's crucial to get support to help you get through this difficult time.

Postpartum Depression: What Is It?

    In short, postpartum depression is a treatable chemical imbalance just like clinical depression. Here are the symptoms to watch out for:

• Depression, anxiety, and restlessness
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Inability to get back to sleep after awakening
• Unplanned weight loss or gain
• Intense worry that you may hurt yourself or your baby
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy

Most people expect a period of baby blues — feeling sad or moody immediately after the birth — but that should clear up within two weeks.

    “When women are depressed for a month [after giving birth] they often think it’s normal, but it’s not,” who adds that she often hears patients write off depression using all kinds of excuses, from work stress to getting adjusted to having a baby. “Anything that lasts beyond two weeks is abnormal, no matter what’s happening in your life. Someone who is not depressed will find ways of coping with the lack of sleep.”

Postpartum Depression: What Are the Risk Factors?

Several factors can increase your risk of postpartum depression, including:

• A history of depression pre-pregnancy
• Feeling depressed or anxious during your second or third trimester
• Postpartum depression or psychosis with prior births

Postpartum Depression: Can It Be Prevented?

There are steps you can take to help prevent postpartum depression. These include:

• Sharing your history. If you have a history of depression or postpartum depression, let your gynecologist know so he or she can develop a plan to monitor your mental health as you get closer to delivery.
• Considering antidepressant therapy. If your doctor recommends it, there are medications you can take during pregnancy to reduce your risk of postpartum depression.
• Getting support. Studies show that if you are at high risk for postpartum depression, connecting with other women who have been through it may help mitigate some of your risk.
• Getting the sleep you need. Sleep is especially important after the baby is born. What every woman needs to do, with the family's help, is figure out a plan for after she gives birth so that she can get the deepest sleep that she possibly can. Typically, this means sleeping solidly from at least 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. During those hours it is helpful for a partner to feed the baby, either with a bottle or by helping the baby latch on to the sleeping mother’s nipple.

Postpartum Depression: Sleep Problems

    Problems with sleep are a strong indicator of postpartum depression. Posmontier and colleagues observed sleep quality in 46 women for six months after childbirth and found that just knowing whether the woman was getting quality sleep was a good way to predict whether she's experiencing postpartum depression.

    “Women who have depression stay up and start to worry or obsess about the baby. That’s the difference between a woman who is depressed and one who is not depressed. The question is, do you get back to sleep once you’ve taken care of the baby?”. Once depression sets in, a vicious cycle starts: Depression makes sleep impossible, and lack of sleep feeds depression.

Postpartum Depression: Support

Here are some ideas for getting through postpartum depression:

• Nighttime support is essential. As Posmontier says, work with your spouse, friends, or relatives to get some help at night, so you can get the sleep you need.
• Join a support group. You may want to talk to other new mothers to find out if your feelings and worries are typical; find a group of new moms, a breastfeeding support group, or even a postpartum depression group.
• Talk to your doctor about treatment. You may need an antidepressant and a therapist to help you get through this, but you should know that postpartum depression is treatable. A recent study found that as little as eight weeks of counseling can help relieve postpartum depression in most new mothers. If you suspect you have postpartum depression, get help. The sooner you tackle this treatable condition, the sooner you will be enjoying your baby — and your life — again.