Topic > Suffering in Silence: The Development of Postpartum Depression

People say that a baby is always a blessing, but getting pregnant and carrying a baby for nine months is no walk in the park. There are many changes that can happen to a woman physically and emotionally. Some may easily accept and embrace it, others may not. While most new moms are thrilled about it, there are still some who aren't and the rest may feel both, which begs the question of why. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay After giving birth, new mothers experience a usual situation. Women would experience fluctuations in emotions and mood swings. They would feel happy and then suddenly they would feel sad. For a moment they will feel really emotional, then after a few minutes they will cry. Others experience loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, hypersensitivity, feeling anxious and poor concentration. This is commonly known as the “baby blues”. It is normal for new mothers to suffer from baby blues and it typically occurs in the early postpartum period, within three to ten days of giving birth. However, if these symptoms last beyond two weeks and appear to be worsening, the mother may be suffering from postpartum depression and should seek professional medical help. Postpartum depression or PPD is a major depressive episode associated with childbirth. This is due to the sharp drop in estrogen and progesterone which creates a chemical change in the brain that leads to mood swings. Unlike baby blues, a mother with postpartum depression feels worse over time, and the changes in her behavior do not go away on their own even with the help of her loved ones. Major postpartum depression, or postpartum depression (PPD), affects 10% to 16% of women after giving birth. This statistic simply implies the importance of providing additional medical care to new mothers, especially first-time mothers. But because not all women are diagnosed with the disease, the actual number could be even higher. But how can you know that a woman has PPD? The signs are almost the same as baby blues but it is more severe and serious. New mothers report an increased desire to sleep, sleep heavily, but wake up immediately with any baby noises and an inability to fall back to sleep after feeding the baby. One mother described the onset as related to the inability to breastfeed, no disappointment. Breastfeeding plays an important role in PPD. A maternal hormone called ocytocin is released by the brain during breastfeeding and increases relaxation and concentration. It can also reduce stress and anxiety. Another characteristic of postpartum depression is infant rejection. There are mothers who would feel jealous of the child's presence thinking that the child will take his place in the affection of his partner and in the attention of the family. The mother may show disinterest and irritation. This attitude is rarely addressed due to embarrassment on the part of the woman and, as a result, can cause violent outbursts and lead to hurting the child or someone in the family. Although women with postpartum depression have no idea of ​​hurting their babies, due to the feeling of abandonment, this may lead to a trust issue with the mother and this depends on Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Some women don't want to talk about it because they feel people will think they are delusional. They are afraid that family members will take the child away from them. Other predictors of postpartum depression include prenatal depression, daily stress, lack.