What Every New Mother Should Know About Postpartum Depression
Every pregnant woman or new mother should be informed about Postpartum Depression. Cheryl Tatano Beck, Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc), Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut, notes that there are certain things all soon-to-be or new mothers should ask their health care providers. These include asking about the signs and symptoms of PPD, and if, after delivery, he or she screens new mothers for PPD. Women should also find out if there are any local PPD support groups, and if there are mental health care professionals in her local area who specialize in postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.
“New mothers should look for the following symptoms: sleeping or eating disturbances, anxiety or insecurity, depressive mood, emotions on a rollercoaster, difficulty concentrating, loss of self (she doesn’t feel real or doesn’t know who she is anymore), guilt or shame, and most serious of all is suicidal thoughts,” Beck stresses. She adds that a mother with PPD won’t necessarily experience all these symptoms, and that every woman with PPD would experience a different constellation of symptoms.
Certain things put a woman more at risk for PPD, Beck says. “Risk factors for PPD can include prenatal depression, low self esteem, childcare stress, prenatal anxiety, life stress, low social support, poor marital relationship, history of depression, difficult infant temperament, maternity blues, single marital status, low socioeconomic status, unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, preterm infant or infant in NICU, and mothers of multiples (twins, triplets).”
“There are a variety of treatment options that should be individualized for each mother,” Beck continues. “These include medication such as antidepressants, antianxiety medication, and therapy. Different therapies can include psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, or interpersonal therapy. Depending on the severity of symptoms, some mothers may be on just meds, or just therapy, or a combination of therapy and meds.”
Beck, who has published many professional journal articles about postpartum depression, points out that breastfeeding mothers who have PPD can still take antidepressants. “The mother should have her pediatrician in on the decision of which medication to use for her depression,” she says. “There are safer antidepressants that mothers can take and still breastfeed. Obstetricians, nurse midwives, and mental health care professionals need to keep up with the current research on medications and breastfeeding.”
