Happy moms have happy babies
Postpartum depression affects 13% of women. It can be developed within the first weeks after delivery or at any time within the first year. But it is seen frequently within the first three months.
Depressive mood
After the child birth, you can feel overwhelmed linked to the hormonal affects, lack of sleep and difficulty adaption to new life conditions including your baby. However if signs such as sense of sad, guilty and hopelessness last more than a few weeks, you may be experiencing depression.
Sleeping problems
Baby care affects every mother but postpartum depression is related to more severe and long-term sleeping problems. If you handle with your sleeping problems and although find pleasant sleep conditions, you may not be falling asleep or sleeping too much. The fact that you can’t satisfy your need to sleep can turns into a vicious circle. Whereas the lack of sleep plays an important role in development of postpartum depression, postpartum depression disturbs the sleep in turn.
Changes in appetite
Another common symptom of depression is eating too little or too much. While some mothers experience decreases in their appetite during the depressive period, others may feel relieved through eating more.
Nutrition during the period of breast-feeding is very important. In this period, the appetite usually decreases. However if your appetite increases or decreases extremely and you feel that your mental state isn’t ok you should contact a doctor.
Worrying
Not every woman with post partum depression is experiencing worries but some of them have the sense of tension, anxiety and restlessness. Some mothers worry extremely linked to the safety and health of their babies. If you belief to be not able to bear responsibility linked to baby care and cope with daily activities, you may be experiencing post partum depression.
Mood swings
Mood swings are a part of this period. These swings are usually present within the two weeks after delivery. Don’t wonder if you find yourself at laughing and then suddenly at crying. If these mood ups and downs last more than 2 weeks and even deteriorate gradually, these may exhibit post partum depression.
It is depression or baby blues?
The signs differing between postpartum depression and baby blues are the severty and the duration of the symtoms.
In baby blues symptoms like mood swings, sadness, excessive worries, weepiness for no reason usually go away within 1 week. If these signs gradually increases you need psychological support.
What if postpartum depression isn’t treated?
For more healthy mothers and children the healing of post partum is important. The lack of treatment affects negatively the mother and her child and prohibits the period of bonding between them. This fact is associated with limited/dispaired development of the child in the following years.
Dietary and work out can be helpfull
Try to do work out everday even it is little. Even going for a walk with buggy can switch your mental state in a positive direction.