Pregnancy: Signs, Symptoms of Postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is when the mother had giving birth to a baby and is feeling depressed afterward. This is a very common condition for mothers. Some have experience it so intensely that they really needed urgent medical attention. The patient treatment so that symptoms can subside. Treatment will include estrogen replacement, counseling, and electro-convulsive therapy.

What are the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression? According to Mayo Clinic, the mothers may feel an array of symptoms at once: mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, crying, hopelessness, self-harm thoughts, decreased concentration, trouble sleeping, and loss of appetite, insomnia, and anger. A list of other symptoms include: extreme fatigue, loss of joy, feeling of shame, withdrawal from family, friends, and difficulty bonding with baby. They will also experience postpartum psychosis. Not all patients will have postpartum psychosis but some will have it. The signs and symptoms are confusion, disorientation, hallucination, delusion, paranoia, and self harm.

Why do women have postpartum depression? There could be many reasons for this condition. One is that the physical characteristic of the body had changed and the patient is feeling those changes like low level of estrogen and progesterone. A low level in this hormone will make the patient depressed. This is very logical if you examine it. The second reason is that the patient emotional state had changed also. The patient is now overwhelmed, stressed, loss of body shape, financial stress, high responsibility, and other children obligation. The patient is now loaded with responsibility and new problems that they will not feel their best. They feel excited and overwhelmed at the same time.

What is the treatment? Patient will have a drop in estrogen and progesterone level after childbirth and this could cause depression. The patient then will need to replace these hormones in order to feel better. Patients will also exhibit lower thyroid production and this also con to depression. After birth, the changes in blood volume, blood pressure, immune system and metabolism can also lead to depression and mood swings. They always say you shouldn't mess with a pregnant lady because they're very irritable and depressed that they can really show you what they mean. Patient will also be giving psychotherapy as a form of treatment. This is where the patient gets to talk one on one with a psychologist.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/postpartum