All You Need to Know About Postpartum Depression
Hello Kamdolls!
Happy new week! How are you doing this beautiful afternoon? Trust you’re great.
So today we’ll be talking about a very important issue in the lives of women which is postpartum depression. Some of us may not have heard about it and some must have heard of it but don’t know what it means. Don’t worry I’ll put you through.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a temporary depression related to pregnancy and childbirth. It comes in two forms: early onset, commonly referred to as the “baby blues,” and late onset. The early onset type is mild and affects women after they deliver and usually resolves within a couple of weeks without medical treatment. The later onset PPD is a more severe form which is usually recognized several weeks after delivery.
Symptoms of mild PPD include sadness, anxiety, appetite changes, tearfulness, mood swings and trouble sleeping. These symptoms usually appear within several days of delivery and go away 10 to 12 days after the birth. Usually the only treatment needed is reassurance and some help with household chores and care of the baby.
Women most at risk for postpartum depression are those who have a history of depression or anxiety disorders, who have had PPD before, lack of sleep, lack of emotional support, lack of a supportive partner, lack of sleep, if pregnancy was unwanted or physical problems.
If you’re feeling depressed, the following strategies may help you feel better.
- Accept help from family and friends.
- Rest when you can.
- Spend time with other new mothers who can relate to what you’re going through.
- Hire a babysitter and take time for yourself.
Lack of support is a major factor in postpartum depression. There are several ways family members can help.
- Check in regularly to see how she’s doing.
- Make her a nutritious meal.
- Watch the baby so she can nap or take a shower.
- Help out with housework
Hope this article was helpful. Have you experienced postpartum depression before? How did you overcome it? Kindly leave your comments in the comment box below. We’ll love to hear from you.
XOXO
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1 Comment
We do not talk enough about mental issues in our country, so when one sees a thread on it, one is grateful for the extra mouth. While this may be helpful to some, my grouse with the article is in its title.
The post has barely scratched the surface of PPD so to term it as ‘All you need to Know’ is misleading, tragically so. Knowing the argument about the poor reading culture of Nigerians, someone in need of help may stumble upon this and jump to poor conclusions. I’ll have the poster know that there are some women for whom their support group is tight yet their symptoms still persist. In this post I do not see the mention of visiting a health facility, preferably a psychiatric one where proper diagnosis and treatment can be made. Knowing the stigma attached, I understand the absence.
However, titling this properly or better still, linking it to a more comprehensive article will do women in need a lot of good.
Thanks.
$ß.
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