Postpartum Depression: Causes, Risks, and Treatment
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Being a new parent can be hard. You and your family can get the support you need in a warm and caring environment.
What is postpartum depression?
The number 1 complication of pregnancy and the postpartum period is a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder.
Parents of every culture, age, income level and race can develop perinatal mental health disorders. Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth. There are effective and well-researched treatment options to help you recover. Although the term “postpartum depression” is most often used, there are actually several forms of illness that parents may experience, including:
Depression During Pregnancy & Postpartum:
Someone with PPD might experience feelings of anger, sadness, irritability, guilt, lack of interest in the baby, changes in eating and sleeping habits, trouble concentrating, thoughts of hopelessness and sometimes even thoughts of harming the baby or themselves.
Anxiety During Pregnancy & Postpartum:
Someone with PPA may experience extreme worries and fears, often over the health and safety of the baby. Some people have panic attacks and might feel shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, a feeling of losing control, and numbness and tingling.
Pregnancy or Postpartum (OCD):
Someone with PPOCD can have repetitive, upsetting and unwanted thoughts or mental images (obsessions), and sometimes they need to do certain things over and over (compulsions) to reduce the anxiety caused by those thoughts. These individuals find these thoughts very scary and unusual and are very unlikely to ever act on them.
Postpartum Depression Symptoms:
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- Feeling sad, depressed, overwhelmed
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- Mood swings
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- Feeling more irritable or angry with those around you
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- Feeling anxious or panicky or having excessive fears and worries
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- Difficulty making decisions
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- Sleep problems
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- Mixed feelings about the baby or difficulty bonding
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- Having upsetting thoughts that you can’t get out of your mind
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- Preoccupied or haunted by a traumatic birth or NICU experience
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- Frightened by, guilty, or ashamed of what you are feeling
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- Social withdrawal
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- Problems with eating or sleeping
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- Feeling as if you are “out of control” or “going crazy”
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- Feeling like you never should have become a parent
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- Worry that you might hurt your baby or yourself
Any of these symptoms could indicate that you have a form of perinatal mental health disorder, such as postpartum depression. While many parents experience some mild mood changes during or after the birth of a child, 15 to 20% of parents experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. Please know that with informed care you can prevent a worsening of these symptoms and can fully recover. There is no reason to continue to suffer.
Signs of Postpartum Depression
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- Feeling sad, depressed, overwhelmed
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- Mood swings
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- Feeling more irritable or angry with those around you
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- Feeling anxious or panicky or having excessive fears and worries
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- Difficulty making decisions
-
- Sleep problems
-
- Mixed feelings about the baby or difficulty bonding
-
- Having upsetting thoughts that you can’t get out of your mind
-
- Preoccupied or haunted by a traumatic birth or NICU experience
-
- Frightened by, guilty, or ashamed of what you are feeling.
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- Social withdrawal
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- Problems with eating or sleeping
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- Feeling as if you are “out of control” or “going crazy”
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- Feeling like you never should have become a parent
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- Worry that you might hurt your baby or yourself
What causes postpartum depression?
There is no one cause for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Women who develop depression or anxiety around childbearing have symptoms that are caused by a combination of psychological, social, and biological stressors. Hormonal fluctuations cause reactions in sensitive women. Risk factors do include a personal or family history of mood or anxiety disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive), and sensitivity to hormonal changes. Developing a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is not your fault. You did not do anything to “get” this.
Why does postpartum depression happen?
There is no one cause for postpartum depression or other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. People who develop depression or anxiety around childbearing have symptoms that are caused by a combination of psychological, social, and biological stressors. Hormonal fluctuations cause reactions in women, men and non-binary parents. Risk factors do include a personal or family history of mood or anxiety disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive), and sensitivity to hormonal changes. Developing a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is not your fault. You did not do anything to “get” this.
When does postpartum depression start?
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have no defined time frame. It is different for every person, and it depends on many things, including access to support and informed health care professionals. Every perinatal mood disorder, no matter how strong the symptoms are, is temporary and treatable.
Most parents (50-80%) experience postpartum “baby blues” after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, irritability and difficulty sleeping. Baby Blues usually begin within the first 2 to 3 days after delivery and may last for up to two weeks.
If the Baby Blues do not subside, or something seems “off,” it might be postpartum depression or another postpartum mood or anxiety disorder (PMAD), such as postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD or even postpartum psychosis. Some people experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder during pregnancy.
How long does postpartum depression last?
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have no defined time frame. It is different for every person, and it depends on many things, including access to support and informed health care professionals. Every perinatal mood disorder, no matter how strong the symptoms are, is temporary and treatable.
Postpartum Depression Treatment
Treatment plans are different for each person, but might include increased self-care, social support, talk therapy or counseling, and treatment of symptoms, with medication when necessary. Self-care includes proper rest, good nutrition, assistance with baby and other children, and caring for personal needs such as exercise, relaxation, or time with partner/spouse. Social support includes talking with others — either on the telephone, online, or at a support group — who understand and provide encouragement. Talking with a counselor or therapist who understands perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can be extremely beneficial. Finally, medications are available to address both anxiety and depression.
Some individuals treat depression and anxiety with medication, some with natural remedies, some with diet and exercise, some with counseling, support groups, or spiritual practice and support. Many use all of them. Find what works best for you, make a plan of self-care, and stick to it. Learn about how to cope with depression and anxiety, and reach out to informed providers until you find the help you need.
How to deal with postpartum depression?
Treatment plans are different for each person, but might include increased self-care, social support, talk therapy or counseling, and treatment of symptoms, with medication when necessary. Self-care includes proper rest, good nutrition, assistance with baby and other children, and caring for personal needs such as exercise, relaxation, or time with partner/spouse. Social support includes talking with others — either on the telephone, online, or at a support group — who understand and provide encouragement. Talking with a counselor or therapist who understands perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can be extremely beneficial, either individually or in a group. Finally, medications are available to address both anxiety and depression.
Postpartum Depression Self-care
Self-care may include sleep, good nutrition, assistance with baby and other children, emotional support, psycho-education, social support, referrals to mental health resources, exercise, relaxation, time with loved ones.
Postpartum Depression Therapies
Support groups, therapy groups, Evidence based therapies: Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, relational therapy, creative arts therapy, couples therapy, dyadic parent-baby therapies, other therapies. Might include medication.
How common is postpartum depression?
Approximately 1 in 6 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers
15-20% of parents
How to prevent postpartum depression?
Treatment plans are different for each person, but might include increased self-care, social support, talk therapy or counseling, and treatment of symptoms, with medication when necessary. Self-care includes proper rest, good nutrition, assistance with baby and other children, and caring for personal needs such as exercise, relaxation, or time with partner/spouse. Social support includes talking with others — either on the telephone, online, or at a support group — who understand and provide encouragement. Talking with a counselor or therapist who understands perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can be extremely beneficial. Finally, medications are available to address both anxiety and depression.
Some individuals treat depression and anxiety with medication, some with natural remedies, some with diet and exercise, some with counseling, support groups, or spiritual practice and support. Many use all of them. Find what works best for you, make a plan of self-care, and stick to it. Learn about how to cope with depression and anxiety, and reach out to informed providers until you find the help you need.
