28.03.2024

Causes of Postpartum Depression

Depression is a state of depression, despair, longing. Postpartum depression occurs in many young mothers. This affects the fear for the health and life of the baby.

Often the fear that she will not cope with the duties of her mother, and her own tiredness after childbirth makes itself felt.

Postpartum depression most often affects mothers who have conflicted with their own mothers, and those who have not received maternal love at all.

Symptoms

Any disease has its own signs, and postpartum depression is no exception.

Symptoms that occur most often are:

  • anxiety;
  • intrusive actions;
  • palpitations;
  • headache;
  • lack of strength;
  • feeling of sadness and panic;
  • tearfulness;
  • impaired appetite;
  • sadness
  • insomnia;
  • depression
  • feeling of complete loneliness.

Very often, a young mother is tormented by remorse caused by a sense of shame if she begins to consider herself not a good enough mother.

There are signs of postpartum depression when a woman is unable to perform maternal duties because lethargy and difficulties appear. Mothers during this period may not even respond to infants, since activity during this period decreases sharply.

One of the common symptoms is the refusal of a young mother to see a doctor. They often experience a deep sense of guilt when they do not quite cope with the difficulties of caring for the baby. Often an error occurs when they believe that with the help of maternal love, almost all problems can be solved, and they don’t imagine what the first days and months of caring for a child are.

A young mother is embraced by deep disappointment in her abilities, and she simply “gives up”. Daily constant worries take away not only physical, but also mental strength. And this often causes a feeling of helplessness.

After three months, a gloomy mood for the future may come, irritability and anxiety, inability to do daily necessary tasks.

Causes of Postpartum Depression

A depressed state, an inability to do anything, a fading interest in the environment is often a manifestation of postpartum depression in women after the birth of a baby. And it begins because often people just don’t notice how difficult it is for her, they don’t try to help, they don’t support in the very first weeks after the birth of the baby.

There are many factors that affect her condition and increase depression more and more. Among them are social, biological, interpersonal and psychological aspects.

The most common causes of postpartum depression are the following:

  • past depression;
  • low standard of living;
  • lack of family support;
  • insufficient or completely absent husband’s help;
  • alcoholism;
  • there are no normal living conditions;
  • difficult pregnancy;
  • late pregnancy;
  • termination of work and early departure on maternity leave;
  • lack of emotional communication.

How to identify?

Many symptoms of depression are very similar to a little stress that can occur after childbirth. Therefore, the diagnosis must certainly be made by a doctor who has a woman after the birth of a child. Signs of postpartum depression may appear in the first days after the birth of the baby.

But still, some signs can be recognized on their own, as they are common symptoms of postpartum depression. For example, if a woman fails to fall asleep, even if she is very tired, and the child is sleeping calmly at this time.

Anxiety and constant tearfulness, irritability and changeable mood. Very often the appetite disappears, some are prone to sudden panic. Sometimes young mothers admit to doctors about suicidal thoughts that begin to visit them, or even negative emotions about their baby.

If you have any thoughts about causing harm to yourself or your baby, or if symptoms appear for more than 2 weeks, you should already consult a doctor so that the disease does not drag on.

How is depression treated?

Psychologists and treating doctors will be able to tell how to deal with postpartum depression, since treatment depends on its complexity and type. Common options are medications prescribed by your doctor.

Helps with postpartum depression treatment with sedatives and antidepressants. But when breastfeeding without a doctor’s prescription, medications should not be used, since they will affect the baby.

Psychotherapy helps with which a woman is restored to peace of mind and the disease recedes.
In addition, you can get rid of postpartum depression using other means, such as physical activity, trips to a beauty salon, aromatherapy, and much more.

Exercise helps, so daily exercise will not be superfluous. In addition, constant communication is necessary, a young mother needs to be periodically in public places, a movie or a cafe. Diets are excluded unless they are prescribed by a doctor. A young mother should eat well.

Beauty salons can work miracles with a woman’s mood. Especially after childbirth, when it seems to them that their body will no longer be the same. You can sign up for a massage, which can not only give the necessary rest, but also tighten the skin after childbirth.

Many doctors recommend not cognitive, but interpersonal therapy, the course of which includes many sessions focused on the role of the parent and the resolution of conflicts between spouses.

Essential oils also positively affect the normalization of the psychological and emotional state of a young mother and help cope with postpartum depression. They help reduce anxiety, get rid of despair, relieve irritability, insecurity and suicidal thoughts.

If possible, a young mother should take a warm bath with one of the following oils:

  • clary;
  • bergamot;
  • geranium;
  • jasmine;
  • incense;
  • Melissa;
  • grapefruit;
  • rose flower;
  • neroli oil;
  • tangerine.

But when using oils, you need to remember that more than 6 drops per bath should not be used so as not to cause the opposite effect. In general, a warm bath alone will help relieve fatigue and irritation.

Help of relatives, relatives and friends is also important. Especially the husband. If possible, then at night the spouse can get up to the child, giving his wife a good night’s sleep before a hard day. It should be remembered that she really needs strength and relaxation.

In addition, visiting relatives or friends can very much help: sit with the child, prepare the necessary mixes, wash, walk, etc. That is, to give the young mother a little necessary “fresh sip” of freedom. In this case, the woman has time to sleep a little during the day, if she did not sleep well because of the baby at night, and the negative because of this disappears. Like irritability, that he is crying, and she “at least burst.” She becomes calmer and gradually the depression recedes.

Prevention

It is better not to bring to the treatment of postpartum depression. For this, prevention is preferable, which directly depends on the causes that led to the breakdown of a young mother.

Childbirth is a global hormonal restructuring of the whole organism, and often this causes a depression. Thanks to studies, it turned out that most often disorders occur in women whose motherhood did not live up to their expectations.

In order not to cause depression after childbirth, a woman still needs to discuss situations with her husband during pregnancy, prioritize responsibilities, be prepared for the difficulties that may arise when caring for a child.

Psychologically prepare for the fact that at first it will be difficult, even despite the support of the spouse.

An ideal option when you can agree with friends or relatives so that they help the first time. Since you may not have time to do the necessary things with the habit, and as a result, a panic may develop, developing into irritability and postpartum depression.

It is necessary to solve in advance all issues related to the first weeks of a young mother’s stay at home. It is best to pre-prepare the necessary (even with a margin): diapers, vests, toys, bottles, etc. In this case, you can delay the washing for a short time if the baby is capricious. And having laid it, calmly overtake everything.

When the question arises about postpartum depression, how long this condition lasts – it is impossible to answer it, as it is individual, and a lot depends on the environment of the woman and those who help her to cope with this condition.

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