Tag Archives: postpartum depression

The Baby Blues: When It Won’t Go Away

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Postpartum depression (PPD) affects roughly one in six women and can develop at any time in the first year after a baby is born and may persist for months if left untreated. The more common “baby blues” effects almost 80% of women and makes an appearance between day three and day ten of giving birth. The baby blues are caused by rapidly changing hormone levels in the mother, predominantly progesterone. Typical symptoms are weepiness, a sense of inexplicable sadness and a feeling of being overwhelmed by even the most trivial incident. By the end of a fortnight however, these symptoms … Continue reading →

Treatment for Depression During Pregnancy

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Did you know about 12 million women in the US experience clinical depression each year? What happens to these women when they become pregnant? According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, 13% of pregnant woman took antidepressants at some point during their pregnancy. For many women, the choice of whether to continue with their medication when they become pregnant is a difficult one. They must weigh the risks of not treating their depression with the risk of what the drugs may do to their unborn child. The American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Post-Adoption Blues

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The Post-Adoption Blues, subtitled “Concerning the Unforeseen Challenges of Adoption”, is written by a husband and wife team. Dr. John R. Thompson, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. His wife, Dr. Karen Foli, PhD., is a registered nurse and a medical writer who has written extensively about children with special needs. Together they are the parents of two sons by birth and one daughter by adoption. Their daughter arrived from India at the age of five months. Karen Foli experienced many emotions upon meeting her daughter. These included some emotions which she had never expected, such as guilt, confusion, … Continue reading →

“I’m a Bad Mother!”

This is a cry that I hear from literally hundreds of mothers, both in the course of my counseling experience and simply from comments dropped by friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers. But it is a particularly poignant cry from mothers who are experiencing emotional upheaval, often chronic in nature, and who also have the added responsibility of caring for children as well as the minefield of mental illness. No matter what the life experience of the mother, whether it be depression, post-partum depression, bipolar disorder, or an anxiety disorder, the concern is the same. “I’m not good enough!” or … Continue reading →

Pop Culture Potpourri—Grandpa Trump and Brooke’s Battle For Moms

GRANDPA TRUMP Her family calls her the best Mother’s Day present ever. (Never mind that she came two weeks ahead of time.) Kai Madison Trump is getting the royal treat by her parents and her famous grandfather—-Donald Trump. The first member of the newest generation of Trump’s arrived Saturday afternoon in New York City. According to news reports, Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. and wife Vanessa became proud first time parents to the 6-lb. 14-oz. girl less than 12 hours before dawn broke on Mother’s Day 2007. In regards to their daughter’s unique name (I thought they chose it because … Continue reading →

Is Britney Spears Suffering From Postpartum Depression?

Shortly after Britney Spears had what the media calls her “meltdown” (which began with a self-induced head shaving, the addition of a couple of tattoos, multiple trips in and out of rehab, and a tirade, which included the young mom attacking a photographer’s vehicle with an umbrella… in the course of 36 hours), Hollywood insiders began to speculate that the pop princess may be suffering from more than just a substance dependency. Shortly after Spears’ head shaving incident “View” co-host Rosie O’Donnell hinted that the 25-year-old mother of two young sons may be suffering from postpartum psychosis. Of course, O’Donnell’s … Continue reading →

A Christian Mother’s Experience With the Baby Blues

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After my first baby was born, I was a mess. I don’t think that what I experienced was true postpartum depression, but it definitely qualified as the “baby blues.” I remember pulling into the driveway when my husband and I came home from the hospital with our son. I felt a tightness in my chest and my eyes were stinging with tears. How in the world was I going to do this? What did I really know about babies? When would I get sleep? Just reminiscing about it now I can feel all of those emotions flooding back to me. … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Dealing with Grief from Birth Loss

Having something other than your ideal birth can be a painful experience, especially if you truly desired to deliver naturally. Often, women who end up with an emergency c-section feel a sense of guilt, loss, and even failure. Or perhaps it wasn’t a cesarean that you or someone you know is grieving over, but an intervention that you desired to avoid. Sometimes opting for pain-relieving drugs can make a woman feel like she had less of a birth experience than she desired to. My first delivery went very well, and was a successful homebirth. I was very proud of myself, … Continue reading →

Postpartum psychosis: What is it?

Postpartum psychosis is the most severe of the three postnatal conditions as outlined in Postpartum depression: What are the symptoms? It affects roughly one in 500 new mothers and generally manifests within the first fortnight after giving birth. The two predominant symptoms of postpartum psychosis are major depression and manic episodes. Severe manic or depressive episodes, often involving psychosis where the individual loses contact with reality, are a feature of the illness. It should not be confused with the milder depression symptoms experienced with postnatal depression. The symptoms typically begin 2 to 3 days after delivery but may occur as … Continue reading →

Postpartum depression: Effects on the marriage

Postpartum depression can be one of the significant factors involved in marital friction and divorce. Despite the prevalence of the condition, women are reluctant to talk about the effect it has on their marriage. In previous blogs, we have discussed the symptoms of postpartum depression and requirements for recovery. Today we will look at the impact of the condition on the mother’s primary relationship: the one she shares with the father of her child. Since the myths surrounding having a baby are all largely positive, it can come as a rude surprise to the mother to discover that the baby … Continue reading →