[hocus pocus]

Postpartum Depression (PPD)

What is it?

Most of the time, people think that having a baby is the happiest time in a mother's life, when in reality it could be one of the hardest. Approximately 10-15% of women suffer from Postpartum Depression, or PPD within the first year of the child’s life. [source] Some moms go through what is called “the baby blues” and it only lasts a little while whereas PPD can last months. Both moms and dads can suffer from PPD, but it’s more common in mothers.

Symptoms

Some symptoms are very similar to those of regular depression, but there are some main symptoms for Postpartum Depression:

• The new mom can feel very overwhelmed and anxious, thinking that she isn't able to care for this new baby.
• She may feel sad, empty, alone, and afraid of what will happen. She may think that she should be a better mom.
• The mom might have thoughts that the baby could potentially be better off without.
• Uncontrolled crying could occur.
• Thoughts of hurting herself or her baby might surface.
• Thoughts of death and suicide can present themselves

In contrast, symptoms of the baby blues may include:

• Mood swings including irritability, anxiety, and crying
• Appetite problems and trouble difficulty sleeping.

Causes

There are two factors that can cause postpartum depression. There are both physical and emotional changes.

After you a mother delivers a your baby, there’s a sudden drop in both estrogen and progesterone within your the body. This has a huge part role in the physical factors of PPD. It can leave the mom feeling sluggish and tired.

When the mom's near the end of your the pregnancy, she may start to become sleep deprived. She is up all hours of the night with sadness, crying, anxiety and even just listening to the baby cry. [Cassie: It's hard to follow with the wording.] These are emotional changes that she may have from childbirth.

Risk Factors

Some risk factors are:

• Mental health disorders
• Poor support or financial situation
• Poor relationship with significant other
• Not being able to work/fear of losing your job unemployment
  
• Postpartum depression after a previous pregnancy
• Not bBeing unable to breastfeed her baby and feeling like she's letting them down. [Britt: should I add in brackets that formula is a good alternative for breastfeeding] [You might be able to mention it somewhere else. Maybe under What to Do, you could mention looking at other options for difficulties (such as difficulty sleeping and being unable to breastfeed) and give a few examples that way.]
  

What to do

As with many other mental illnesses, the common support is cognitive-behavioural therapy, also known as CBT. Cognitive-behavioural therapy teaches you the way that your behaviour, feelings, and thoughts work together. You could also join a support group that would introduce you to other moms who are going through the same situation. Mothers can also go on antidepressants, as long as it’s been discussed with a doctor. Most antidepressants are safe to use while a mom is breastfeeding. Lastly, the most important thing that you can do is to surround yourself with the ones you love. Make sure that you take time for yourself, if you have to ask a family member to come watch your newborn for a bit while you go take a bath or sleep, don’t feel ashamed. [Cassie: Second person here.]

In conclusion, whether the mother is struggling with PPD or the baby blues, she always needs to remember that she's not alone and has supports no matter where she reaches out. [Cassie: You could say something like "A mother deserves help and support regardless of whether or not she is struggling with PDD or the baby blues." Second person would be okay here if you wanted to say "If you or someone you know is struggling after giving birth, seek help."]