| Perinatal depression is depression
that occurs during pregnancy and up to 12 months after giving birth.
Women are more at risk for depression during their child bearing
years.
Estimates of how common the condition is range from 5 % to more
than 25 % of pregnant women and new mothers.
What causes depression?
There may be a number of reasons why a woman gets depressed. Hormonal
changes or a stressful life event, such as a death in the family,
can cause chemical changes in the brain that lead to depression.
Depression is an illness that may also run in some families. Other
times, it’s not clear what causes depression.
Depression During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman who has a history of depression or substance
abuse, a family history of mental illness or little support from
family and friends is at risk for getting depressed. Anxiety about
the fetus, problems with a previous pregnancy or birth, giving birth at a young age and marital
or financial problems are also reasons for women to get depressed
while they are pregnant. Depression that develops during pregnancy
is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of depression
after the baby is born.
Depression After Pregnancy
Depression after pregnancy is called postpartum depression. During
pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone,
in a woman's body increases greatly. In the first 24 hours after
childbirth, the level of these hormones drops rapidly back down
to their normal non-pregnancy levels. Researchers think the rapid
change in hormone levels may make some new mothers more vulnerable
to depression, just as smaller changes in hormones can affect a
woman's mood before a menstrual period.
Other factors that may contribute to depression after pregnancy
include:
- Feeling tired after delivery
- Broken sleep patterns, and
These factors often keep a new mother from regaining her full
strength for weeks.
- A prior episode of depression after pregnancy
- Marital problems/problems with significant other
- Feeling overwhelmed with a new baby to take care of
- Doubting your ability to be a good mother
- Changes in work and home routines
- Trying to be "super mom" or perfect, which is not
realistic
- Having feelings of loss: loss of identity of who you are, or
were, before
having the baby, loss of control, loss of your pre-pregnancy
figure
- Feeling less attractive
- Having less free time and less control over time
- Having to stay home for longer periods of time
- Having less time to spend with your partner and loved ones
Need somebody to talk to? Call the Postpartum Depression Helpline,
available 24/7, 1-800-PPD-MOMS (1-800-773-6667).
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