Start Of Initial Symptoms
The recovery timeline may be determined in part by how soon after childbirth the initial symptoms of postpartum depression present themselves. Initial symptoms can begin throughout several stages before and after childbirth.
Stages in which postpartum depression symptoms may begin include:
- Prenatal symptoms occurring during pregnancy
- Immediate symptoms occurring in 48 hours to 4 weeks following childbirth
- Symptoms occurring from 1 to 6 months after childbirth
- Delayed symptoms occurring from 6 months to 1 year after childbirth
- Long-term, residual symptoms that may not occur until 1 to 4 years after childbirth
How Is Postpartum Depression Different From The Baby Blues
The baby blues means feeling worried, sad, or tired after giving birth. They generally start 2-3 days after giving birth. Theyre very common and usually last a few days.
Postpartum depression lasts for weeks or months and tends to be more intense. It generally starts about 1-3 weeks after giving birth. It might prevent you from being able to care for yourself, your baby, and the rest of your family. Lots of people deal with postpartum depression its a very common experience. Like all kinds of depression, postpartum depression is treatable.
Talking To Your Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health
Communicating well with your health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read our Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask a provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
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What Medications Can I Take For Postpartum Depression
Your healthcare provider may prescribe antidepressants to manage symptoms of postpartum depression. Antidepressants help balance the chemicals in your brain that affect your mood.
If you’re breastfeeding, talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of taking an antidepressant. Medications can transfer to your baby through your milk. However, the transfer level is generally low, and many antidepressant medications are considered safe. Your provider can help you decide what medicine is right for you based on your symptoms and if you’re nursing.
Some common antidepressants for postpartum depression are:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as sertraline and fluoxetine .
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors such as duloxetine and desvenlafaxine .
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline or imipramine .
Keep in mind that it takes at least three or four weeks for antidepressants to work. Talk to your healthcare provider before stopping the medication. Stopping your medication too soon can cause symptoms to return. Most providers will recommend reducing your dose before stopping completely.
If your provider detects postpartum depression while youâre still in the hospital, they may recommend IV medication containing brexanolone.
What Is Perinatal Depression
Perinatal depression is a mood disorder that can affect women during pregnancy and after childbirth. The word perinatal refers to the time before and after the birth of a child. Perinatal depression includes depression that begins during pregnancy and depression that begins after the baby is born . Mothers with perinatal depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and fatigue that may make it difficult for them to carry out daily tasks, including caring for themselves or others.
How is postpartum depression different from the baby blues? The baby blues is a term used to describe mild mood changes and feelings of worry, unhappiness, and exhaustion that many women sometimes experience in the first 2 weeks after having a baby. Babies require around-the-clock care, so its normal for mothers to feel tired or overwhelmed sometimes. If mood changes and feelings of anxiety or unhappiness are severe, or if they last longer than 2 weeks, a woman may have postpartum depression. Women with postpartum depression generally will not feel better unless they receive treatment.
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How Common Is Ppd
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Up to 1 in 7 women experience PPD.
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For half of women diagnosed with PPD, this is their first episode of depression.
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About half of women who are later diagnosed with PPD may have begun experiencing symptoms during pregnancyso its important to seek help early! Getting the right help can make all the difference for you, your baby and your family.
From The Last Trimester Of Pregnancy To A Year After Giving Birth Experts Explain When Postpartum Depression Symptoms Can Start And How Long They Can Last
Three months after the birth of her first child, Shoshana Bennett went to her OB, desperate for help. “If life is going to be like this, I don’t want to be here anymore,” she told him. The year was 1983, and the medical profession’s understanding of the severe depression that affects 1 out of 7 new moms was limited. “He laughed and said, ‘All new mothers feel this way. Go do something nice for yourself and it will pass,'” she recalls.
Dr. Bennett’s years-long struggle with what is now known as postpartum depression prompted the special education teacher to return to school and earn a Ph.D. in psychology. She’s since helped pioneer the field of maternal mental health, publishing four books on the subject, including Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety, and speaking on the topic around the world to help women cope with persistent feelings of emptiness and sadness brought on by the mood disorder.
Pregnant women who are at increased risk for developing PPDsuch as those with a history of depression, PMS or PMDDmay want to look out for the first signs and symptoms and keep in mind the average timeline for postpartum depression.
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Postpartum Depression Signs And Symptoms
Symptoms of postpartum depression can be hard to detect. Many women have these symptoms following childbirth:
- Trouble sleeping
- Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
- Thoughts of death or suicide
- Thoughts of hurting someone else
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
Symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder that are new rarely occur in the postpartum period . The obsessions are usually related to concerns about the babys health or irrational fears of harming the baby. Panic disorder may also happen. You can have these conditions and depression at the same time.
Untreated postpartum depression can be dangerous for new moms and their children. A new mom should seek professional help when:
- Symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks
- They canât function normally
- They cant cope with everyday situations
- They have thoughts of harming themselves or their baby
- Theyre feeling extremely anxious, scared, and panicked most of the day
Help And Support For Postnatal Depression
Many kinds of support are available for women experiencing postnatal depression.
Support and patience from family and friends are perhaps the most important factor in a womans recovery from PND. Talking about her feelings, particularly with other women in support groups or with a professional counsellor for example, through the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia national helpline can be helpful. In more severe cases, seeing a GP or perinatal psychiatrist to consider anti-depressants and other medications might be used to help bring about a change in mood.
Its important to remember that PND is a temporary condition that will improve with time.
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What Can I Do
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Dont face PPD aloneSeek help from a psychologist or other licensed mental healthprovider contact your doctor or other primary health care provider.
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Talk openly about your feelings with your partner, other mothers, friends, and relatives.
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Join a support group for mothersask your health care provider for suggestions if youcant find one.
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Find a relative or close friend who can help you take care of the baby.
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Get as much sleep or rest as you can even if you have to ask for more help with the babyif you cant rest even when you want to, tell your primary health care provider.
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As soon as your doctor or other primary health care provider says its okay, take walks, get exercise.
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Try not to worry about unimportant tasksbe realistic about what you can really do whiletaking care of a new baby.
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Cut down on less important responsibilities
Postpartum depression is not your faultit is a real, but treatable, psychological disorder.
If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, take action now:
Put the baby in a safe place, like a crib. Call a friend or family member for help if you need to.
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Go to your local hospital emergency room. Tell someone you trust about what you are feeling ask him or her to help you take these steps.
Copyright 2007 by MediSpin, Inc. Adapted by permission.
The Good news: There Is Hope
PPD Can Be Treated! You Can Feel Better!
APA can also help you find a local psychologist: Call 1-800-964-2000, or visit the APA Psychologist Locator.
Who Is At Risk For Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression symptoms may be more likely or more severe in some individuals. These are some factors:
History of anxiety or mood disorders. Those with bipolar disorders, depression or anxiety are 30% to 35% more likely to have postpartum depression. Likewise, mothers who have had depression symptoms after previous pregnancies are apt to have them again.
Family history. Those who have family members who have suffered with postpartum mood disorders are more likely to experience them also.
Genetics. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Womens Mood Disorders Center identified epigenetic biomarkers differences in the activity of certain genes that may predict whos most likely at risk for postpartum depression.
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To 4 Years Postpartum
Less commonly, women report developing symptoms of postpartum depression much later after childbirth. Sometimes, women may experience postpartum depression up to 4 years after delivering their child. These long-term symptoms can be very difficult. They can greatly affect the quality of life of the woman, her child and her family.
How Ppd Can Affect Your Life
You already know that PPD is causing you some difficult symptoms, and unfortunately, it could also affect your relationships. This isnt your fault. Thats why its a good reason to get treatment and shorten the duration of your depression.
Asking for help is good for both you and your relationships, including those with:
- Your partner. If youve become withdrawn or isolated, your relationship with your partner could be affected. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , when a person has PPD, their partner becomes twice as likely to develop it, too.
- Your family and friends. Other loved ones may suspect that something is wrong or notice you arent acting like yourself, but they may not know how to help or communicate with you. This distance can cause increased feelings of loneliness for you.
- Your child. PPD can affect your growing relationship with your baby. Aside from affecting the way you physically care for your baby, PPD can affect the way you bond with your baby after birth. It may also cause damage to your existing relationships with older children.
Some researchers even believe that PPD may have long-term effects on a childs social and emotional development. A
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Coping With Postpartum Depression
If you are struggling with mood issues following childbirth, it can feel impossible to cope. In addition to treating the symptoms of your PPD, additional support is invaluable.
- If you have a partner, they can help you cope by taking the lead in childcare and housekeeping responsibilities as much as possible so that you can rest.
- If you have friends or family in your local area, they can prepare meals, support you with childcare, and be available to listen when you need to talk.
- Although being new to parenting is a huge adjustment, finding time to do things you enjoyed before the baby was born can help you both engage in self-care and remind you of your identity outside of the parenting role.
Who Can Get Postpartum Depression
According to the CDC, postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 8 American women after childbirth. Some states may have PPD rates as high as 1 in 5 new mothers. Any woman who has just given birth can experience PPD, and even some new fathers experience it, too.
Some individuals may be more at-risk for developing PPD than others. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for PPD include:
- A personal or family history of depression or other mental illness, such as bipolar disorder
- Having already experienced postpartum depression after the birth of a previous child
- Having a multiple birth
- Experiencing pregnancy or childbirth complications
- Having a child with special needs and/or health problems
- Financial issues
- Lack of personal support / relationship issues with spouse or partner
- Difficulty breastfeeding
Do you think that you might be at risk for postpartum depression? Click here to learn more about symptoms and treatment methods.
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Living With Postpartum Depression
Feeling depressed doesnt mean that you are a bad person. It doesnt mean that you did something wrong or that you brought this on yourself. It also does not mean that you dont love your baby. If you have given birth recently and are feeling sad, blue, anxious, irritable, tired, or have any of the other symptoms of postpartum depression, remember that many other women have had the same experience.
Youre not losing your mind or going crazy. You shouldnt feel that you just have to suffer through it. Here are some things you can do that other mothers with postpartum depression have found helpful:
Other Psychotropic Medications And Breastfeeding
Some women with PPD may be administered an adjunctive benzodiazepine for anxiety or insomnia. Sedation and poor feeding have been reported in breast-feeding infants who are exposed to benzodiazepines, and divided low doses has been advised.101 Other psychotropic medication may be used by breastfeeding women with bipolar or psychotic illness or severe depression. Even though it was reported recently that lithium could be used during breastfeeding with careful infant serum level monitoring,110 lithium generally has not been recommended during breastfeeding because of reports of hypothermia, hypotonia, cyanosis, T-wave inversion, and lethargy reported in infants.61,101,111 There is a paucity of data about the safety of the newer antiepileptic drugs and atypical antipsy-chotics.105 Valproate and carbamazepine have been used safely during breastfeeding. It was reported recently that infant serum levels of lamotrigine are variable and sometimes high after breastfeeding.112 Preliminary data have suggested that oxcarbazepine, topiramate, gabapentin, and levetiracetam are not associated with adverse effects.61,105,111 Sporadic adverse effects have been reported with olanzapine, clozapine, and traditional antipsychotics.113 Infant monitoring should match the monitoring of potential adverse events that is used in adults.105 Studies that evaluate the long-term effect on child development after breastfeeding exposure to anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics are needed.
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What Are The Signs Of Postpartum Depression
Someone with postpartum depression may experience:
- Sadness, anxiety, or anger that doesnt go away
- Feeling worthless, helpless, guilty, hopeless, or irritable
- Feeling distant from your baby
- Crying more than usual
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Appetite changes
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Constant doubts about your ability to raise your baby
- Thoughts about hurting yourself or your baby
What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline
SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.
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Treatments For Postnatal Depression
Postnatal depression can be lonely, distressing and frightening, but support and effective treatments are available.
These include:
- self-help things you can try yourself include talking to your family and friends about your feelings and what they can do to help, making time for yourself to do things you enjoy, resting whenever you get the chance, getting as much sleep as you can at night, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet
- psychological therapy a GP may be able to recommend a self-help course or may refer you for a course of therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy
- antidepressants these may be recommended if your depression is more severe or other treatments have not helped your doctor can prescribe a medicine that’s safe to take while breastfeeding
Local and national organisations, such as the Association for Post Natal Illness and Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support , can also be useful sources of help and advice.
What Is Postpartum Depression Or Postnatal Depression
Postpartum depression or postnatal depression is different from the baby blues. It usually occurs two to eight weeks after giving birth but can happen up to a year after the baby is born. One of the important things about postpartum depression is its not just feeling sad, Dr. Stuebe explains. Feelings of intense anxiety are also a common feature of postpartum depression.
Some symptoms of postpartum depression to look out for include feeling overwhelmed, persistent crying, lack of bonding with your baby and doubting your ability to care for yourself and your baby.
We all worry about our kids, but are so worried that it impedes their ability to enjoy their baby and to enjoy their life. Postpartum depression can make it difficult to care for yourself and your baby, too. I think its important for folks to understand that this is not just feeling sad or crying. It also can be feeling almost paralyzed by fear about something bad potentially happening to your child, and that is incredibly painful for the parent.
Another warning sign for postpartum depression is not being able to sleep, even when your baby is sleeping. If youre exhausted, but you are lying awake because your mind is racing, your brain is not being your friend, Dr. Stuebe says.
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