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Fact Sheet POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Baby Blues:
•60-80% of women experience this time-limited experience of weepiness, irritability and anxiety.
•Result from overwhelming hormonal and life changes after birth
•Resolve without medical intervention within a couple of weeks
Postpartum Depression:
•A much smaller percentage of women, about 10-20%, experience Postpartum Depression or Anxiety.
•Results from dramatic hormonal and biochemical changes, as well as life changes, which occur after birth. Women cannot simply will themselves to feel better.
•Symptoms
include a pervasive sense of sadness, irritability or apathy,
exhaustion, difficulty sleeping, disinterest in eating and self-care,
extreme anger towards baby and even suicidal feelings. Some women
experience anxiety including panic attacks.
•Women often feel shame and a sense of failure about themselves as mothers.
•These symptoms are daily experiences, which disrupt a woman’s ability to take care of routine tasks, and last for at least two weeks.
•These symptoms can begin at any point in the first year after childbirth.
Risk factors:
Women may be at an increased risk if they have experienced the following:
•A previous episode of Depression or Postpartum Depression
•A history of PMS with mood difficulties
•A family history of Postpartum Depression
•However, women without the above history can experience PPD
Treatment:
•May include some combination of psychotherapy, education, group support and medication
•Critical to work with professionals with expertise with these conditions
•Especially
important to consult a psychiatrist with knowledge about the safety of
different medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding
•With appropriate treatment, the prognosis for postpartum mood disorders is excellent.
•Early
intervention can make all the difference in a woman’s experience. She
should discuss her history of postpartum mood problems with her
healthcare professionals during subsequent pregnancies.
Resources:
•Postpartum Support International (805) 967-7636
•Depression After Delivery (800) 944-4PPD
•This Isn’t What I Expected (1994) by Karen Kleiman
•Shouldn’t I Be Happy (1995) by Shaila Misri, MD
Provided by
Catie McDowell, LMFT and Ellen Rossier, LCSW, 2885 E. Aurora Ave. #8, Boulder, CO 80303 (303) 494-6877
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