Postpartum mood disorders

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Having a baby is no mean feat. While parenting is hard for men and women alike, but the latter have to endure more due to the ordeal of giving birth.

Female bodies have to first undergo the stress of pregnancy, which is followed by the trauma of labor. Then comes the postpartum period, in which their bodies start the journey of reverting to the original stance. Nursing mothers have to also then endure the challenge of breastfeeding.

Through this tough time, some women then have postpartum mood disorders. These problems may occur during the first 12 months of having a baby.

There is a wide range of mental health problems that can occur after birth. These may be severe enough to jeopardize the wellbeing of the mother and in some cases, cause harm to the baby. Hence, it is pertinent that your Gynecologist in Lahore also cater to your wellbeing holistically and not focus on your physical healing only.

Postpartum mood disorders

Postpartum mood disorders have a spectrum, and you may fall anywhere on the scale, as the exact causes of the mental health problems are not known.

Some of the known types of mood disorders include:

Postpartum blues

Postpartum blues are rather common. These occur due to the dips in hormones estrogen and progesterone after birth. Postpartum blues are more common immediately after birth but may also occur up to five weeks after giving birth.

The symptoms of blues include a hopeless state of mind, sadness, irritable disposition, anxiety, inability to sleep alongside bouts of crying. In some cases, mother may also feel resentful of their baby as well and may have thoughts about harming the baby.

If these symptoms continue for two weeks straight, or are rather intense, then it may be a sign of postpartum depression, meriting medical help.

Postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is another common type of mood disorder associated with delivery. It is thought to occur due to the drastic changes in the hormones, following delivery. However, it is also common in women who do not have a supportive spouse, and their marriage is not a happy one.

Undergoing stressful events towards the end of the pregnancy or at birth also increases the risk of postpartum depression, or PPD as it is commonly known as.

In this condition, women become depressed, are prone to crying, lose interest in their live, cannot concentrate on anything, are overridden with fatigue and cannot sleep properly

Moreover, they think of themselves as unable to take care of the baby, that then also leads to guilt about not being a good mother. There is also change in the mother’s appetite. Some women may also undergo thoughts of suicide, such grave is the impact of postpartum depression on the lives of the women. Alongside depression, some women may experience panic attacks as well.

Postpartum psychosis

Although rare, this condition is extremely dangerous. In this state, women are not only at risk of suicide ideation, but they may also harm their baby, killing them in many instances as well.

There are other symptoms of postpartum depression that include sudden and rapid mood swings. It also can cause hallucinations. Moreover, postpartum psychosis also leads to disorientation in a sense that the woman is not present in the moment, and their thoughts are adrift then. They come in and out of consciousness during these moments of being fazed.

Women undergoing postpartum psychosis also are not organized, naturally, since their mental state is also subjected to the same chaos. Their cognitive abilities are also impaired. 

Getting help

It may not be easy to always identify if the woman is undergoing postpartum mood disorders, however, still, some steps can be taken to prevent things from escalating;answer honestly to your Gynecologist in Karachi when they ask after your mental health. Ask your family to pitch in when things become overwhelming.