Having a baby is a big decision for both the parents but is especially hard on the mothers. All through the nine months, a female body undergoes numerous changes. Discomfort, physical ailments, behavioral changes and pain are the rite of passage of motherhood.
And then comes the ultimate test in form of labor. Body gets pushed to the extreme during delivery and that is just the beginning. Whether or not the pregnancy was planned, it when you actually hold the baby you realize the sheer extent of responsibility that having a baby is.
While some women are better able to reconcile with the change, others gets overwhelmed with the physical and mental demands of motherhood, leading to postpartum depression.
What is postpartum depression?
Often confused with baby blues, postpartum depression is a serious condition. Due to the stress of having the baby, a body that is in the process of healing from trauma, demands of the baby, raging hormones causing mood swings and fragile emotions, new mothers are mentally fatigued. This leads to them feeling down or having blues, and understandably so.
However, when these blues do not seem to go away, and span over weeks, the mother might be suffering from postpartum depression and thus needs to be taken to a gynecologist in Lahore, immediately.
This condition can also morph into postpartum psychosis, which is an extremely alarming condition as the mother is a danger to her own life and the life of the baby as well.
What are the signs of postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression should not be ignored or made lightly of. Some signs to watch out for include:
Sadness
Depression is a feeling in which sadness becomes all-encompassing and it’s no different in the case of post-partum depression. Frequent bouts of crying are also a sign.
Guilt
Due to the mental turmoil, you are unable to enjoy or even formulate a relationship with your baby. The stress that baby and motherhood bring to you is followed by your guilt over resenting being a mother.
Lack of liveliness
Depression kills the spark of life inside of you. As a result, you lose interest in everything. Nothing gives you pleasure anymore; whether it be the activities like reading, or social relationships or even food, nothing offers relief from the depression you are experiencing.
The cascade of blues then engulfs all that is around you, making you feel bereft and unable to experiencing happiness.
Lack of faith in your abilities as a mother
The stress of your state, the anxiety over being a bad mother and fatigue, all compound to overwhelm you and make you doubt your abilities as a mother. You end up writing off yourself as a good mother, yourself.
Mood swings
Initially, the haywire hormones can be blamed for the baby blues and the subsequent moods swings, but when they persist for weeks, they are a sign of postpartum depression. Another indicator is the severity of the mood swings; they are more profound in patients with depression.
Fatigue
Your body has already been through a lot in the aftermath of pregnancy, but depression taxes it further. Postpartum depression leads to zapped energy levels, making fatigue even more pronounced.
Sleep pattern changed
It is natural that your sleep pattern is changing due to the baby, but postpartum depression makes it worse. It then causes either sleeplessness or makes you sleep too much. Both these conditions are bad for physical health.
Inability to concentrate
Postpartum depression takes away the decision-making abilities. As a result, you debate about even the most mundane tasks. Moreover, the preoccupied mind also makes it harder for you to stay focused.
Lack of connection with the baby
Mothers suffering from postpartum depression feel detached from their babies. Some even lose interest in connecting with their baby or think that someone else is the mother of the baby.
Physical symptoms
Headaches, stomach aches and problems and other bodily aches are also a sign of postpartum depression. These physical problems also do not get better with medication.
Self-harm
The thoughts of self-harm are the advanced signs of postpartum depression, and these can then turn into psychosis where mothers start to experience suicidal thoughts. Some even harm their baby or kill the baby altogether. It is imperative to control things before they head to this stage.
How to treat this condition?
Postpartum depression is a treatable condition which involves therapy, self-motivation and lifestyle changes. It is extremely important that you talk to your Gynecologp0ist in Karachi if you are experiencing these symptoms so that you can be diagnosed and given help as soon as possible.
