Baby Blues and Perinatal Depression
Symptoms of perinatal depression include many listed with baby blues, with the difference being the frequency, intensity and duration of the symptoms. Additional symptoms include:
- Poor attachment – The feeling that you are not connected with the baby or that you feel resentful towards the child.
- Lack of interest – This includes lack of interest in interacting with the child and lack of interest in engaging in pleasurable activities for yourself.
- Poor self-care – This includes not eating well, not exercising and not practicing good hygiene.
- Thoughts of harm – This is an extreme form of a common feeling. If you ever feel like you cannot care for your child or that you may actively hurt your child, seek treatment and assistance immediately. This does not mean you are a “bad person.” It only means that perinatal depression is influencing your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
In rare instances, some mothers may experience the feeling that they are losing touch with reality. This is called postpartum psychosis. It usually occurs within the first two months following delivery. The mother may have hallucinations, delusional thinking and paranoia while engaging in odd, unexplainable behaviors. If your symptoms begin to resemble postpartum psychosis, seek treatment immediately.
Perinatal Depression Triggers
At this point, you have a clearer idea of what perinatal depression is. Now, it is time to learn what triggers these changing symptoms.
- Changing medications – Perhaps, depression has been part of your life for years. You went to counseling and took your medications as prescribed with good success. When you began thinking about pregnancy, you stopped your medications based on your prescriber’s recommendations. Many women and new mothers choose to discontinue and stay off medication when pregnant or breastfeeding. This will impact the current symptoms you experience.
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- Changing physiology – Your body must work overtime to nurture your growing baby, and following delivery, it works to readjust back to its typical state. These transitions influence hormones, neurotransmitters and almost every aspect of your physiology. Your mental health struggles to keep up with the physical health changes.
- Changing self-perceptions – Pregnancy and motherhood force you to take a new inventory of yourself. Even if you perceive the pregnancy and child as positives, there are still changes that were unexpected or undesirable. Working to gain comfort with the new image of you will take time to achieve.
- Changing perceptions of others – As you see yourself differently, others will, too. Maybe your mother-in-law will expect you to quit your job and stay home, or your partner will expect you to work, care for the child and still have dinner on the table each night. These perceptions create short-term turmoil that can lead to long-term problems if left unresolved.
- Changing pressures – Pregnancy and a child add demands to already limited resources including time, money and energy. Many women feel overwhelmed by the need to do everything for everyone but not having the time.
