Postpartum depression signs and symptoms manifestation. Effects of postpartum depression on the baby

Most women in the last stages of pregnancy experience a feeling of anxiety. Unstable mood intensifies on the eve of childbirth and after the birth of a child. Nervous state often develops into prolonged depression varying degrees expression and may be big problem not only for the mother and her child, but also for the environment.

What is postpartum depression

Many mothers after childbirth experience fear of the first feeding of the baby, they are worried about whether they will be able to care for the baby. Often a woman has a fear for the health of the child, but very soon the fears are left behind. Unfortunately, not all of this period ends quickly and safely. Some women do not stop experiencing fears even a few months after the birth of a child. In medicine, a painful state of anxiety that is unreasonable objective reasons is called depression.

This is a serious mental pathology, which is formed only in the postpartum period. Depression after childbirth is distinguished by the loss of former interests, a depressed mood that occurs already in the first week after childbirth, and only grows over time. This disease is directly related to psychological, social and hormonal changes in the life of a lady.

The reasons

Postpartum depression in women occurs for a variety of reasons. To date, doctors do not have a unified theory on this matter. All available causes are divided into two groups: socio-psychological and biological. The most proven is hereditary predisposition. If one of the genetic relatives of a woman had depressive disorders, then the pathology can be inherited and manifest itself when certain life circumstances.

The socio-psychological group explains the postpartum anxiety of a woman by a feature of her personality, communication problems in adult life, the psychology of growing up, and the level of stress resistance. Psychotherapists distinguish two bases of a person's well-being: physiological and psychological. The first include the following causes of depression:

• postpartum imbalance chemical elements;
• malfunctions of the thyroid gland;
• hormonal changes;
• side effects from taking certain medications;
• infectious diseases;
• long-term chronic diseases.

Most often, psychosis occurs due to psychosomatic disorders. The main psychological causes of postpartum depression in women:

• problems with breastfeeding;
• fatigue from lack of sleep;
• pain after difficult childbirth;
• increased degree of responsibility;
• changes in the figure;
• lack of finance;
• partner problems.

Forms

Specialists divide postpartum mental disorders into three forms. They are formed only after the birth of a newborn baby. Among them:

• Neurotic. It is manifested by irritability, frequent mood swings. The woman has a heightened dislike for the people around her. Sometimes she is exposed panic attacks, which are accompanied by profuse sweating, tachycardia, high blood pressure.
• postpartum psychosis. Severe form of depression. Manifested by delirium, hallucinations, which are embodied in aggression directed at the child. It is more common in women in labor with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive psychosis). This pathology treated in a hospital under the supervision of a psychiatrist.
• Protracted postnatal depression. The disease begins as a spleen associated with postpartum difficulties. A woman tries to be a good mother, but any problem (for example, the inability to swaddle a baby) leads to panic. Over time, the condition worsens, the blues develops into despair, prolonged depression.

Symptoms

The first signs of postpartum depression are emotional exhaustion and loss of strength. A woman feels an enduring depression that intensifies in the morning and evening time. Thoughts about the absence of the meaning of life increasingly arise in the head, a guilt complex develops in front of the child, especially if he has health problems. The woman in labor increases emotional sensitivity, expressed in excessive tearfulness with or without it. This condition begins immediately after childbirth and can last from several weeks to several months..

You should not run these symptoms, as they can very quickly turn into serious psycho-emotional problems. Conditions in which a woman needs to see a doctor:

• changeable mood;
• short-term memory loss;
• constant fatigue;
• tearfulness;
• increase or decrease in appetite;
• sleep disorders;
• constant feeling of guilt;
• apathy;
• indifference;
• migraine;
• intestinal disorders;
• hypochondria.

Complications

Postpartum syndrome, like any other disease, does not always pass without a trace. A long-term depressed state of a woman in labor adversely affects the baby and spouse. Children who are fed by mothers who are in melancholy are prone to increased excitability or abnormal passivity. During the first year of life, a child may not show bright, intense emotions at all. Such babies have inactivity, insufficient concentration of attention, and a late onset of the formation of speech skills.

Men are also dissatisfied with the depressive behavior of their spouses, and some even consider this pathological condition to be a whim. They try to restore sex life, which cannot be achieved. Ignoring this issue introduces men into a depressive disorder, which poses a threat to the partnership as a whole. Postpartum depression can have dire consequences for a woman and her family:

• suicide attempts;
• exacerbation of depression requiring hospitalization;
• attempted infanticide;
• inability to restore relations between spouses.

How to deal with postpartum depression on your own

At mild degree postpartum disorder, you can get rid of it yourself. The main thing for a woman is to realize that this is a temporary condition, and a positive self-adjustment will give a quick relief from depression:

1. Remember more often that a miracle happened in your life. Feel the peculiarity of the situation, then the household routine will cease to cause negative emotions.
2. Consider that your child is helpless in this world, and most of all needs your love. Breastfeeding, tactile contact contributes to the production of hormones of happiness, so take your baby in your arms, gently talk to him as often as possible.
3. Be sure to take time to be alone with yourself. Each person must have personal time, otherwise he loses his individuality. Take a day off, go to the hairdresser, go shopping or go to the movies. Even the period of lactation should not prevent a woman from living a full life.
4. Do not be ashamed of extra pounds - this is a temporary phenomenon. Do not listen to those who will give advice to go on a diet or eliminate any favorite foods from the diet. In times of stress, you need to fully eat, gain strength.
5. Engage in relaxing, meditative techniques. Take time to relax (bath, massage, aromatherapy).

Treatment

If you can’t cope with the disease on your own, then with the further development of signs of a depressive state, you need to visit a psychologist or psychotherapist. The specialist will give recommendations for correcting behavior. Methods for treating depression are prescribed individually. The most effective therapeutic methods:

• NLP. Neurolinguistic programming techniques allow you to unlock the reserves of human strength. An NLP specialist will help a woman in labor to realize true values and needs, formulate desired goals and show the way how to achieve them. If the treatment is based on experiencing a negative experience, then the doctor does not tease the woman's psyche, but teaches new behavior, forms positive attitudes.
• psychoanalytic techniques. Doctors work through childhood memories. If the patient's mother had depression after her birth, then the woman's need for emotional contact was not fulfilled, so she repeats her negative experience in adulthood.
• hypnotic method. Hypnotherapy is effective in the early stages pathological condition. Hypnosis will quickly get rid of depressive symptoms. As a rule, a woman's well-being improves after 2-3 sessions. After the course of treatment, she experiences the whole gamut of positive emotions.

Drug treatment is prescribed for a severe form of the disease, when the above methods do not help get out of a depressive state. The following groups of drugs are prescribed:

• Antidepressants. Correct the work of the brain disturbed by depression (Imipramine, Pirlindol).
• Tranquilizers. Reduce the speed of mental reactions, have a sedative, hypnotic effect (Nitrazepam, Tofisopam).
• Antipsychotics. Strong psychotropic drugs, the action of which is aimed at the treatment of bipolar disorder (Aminazin, Haloperidol).

The most common method of treating postpartum mental disorders is complex therapy with antidepressants, psychotherapeutic sessions and folk recipes. Medications administered as a tablet (oral) or as an injection (intramuscular or intravenous administration). Effective sedative medicines that can be bought at a pharmacy (in consultation with a doctor):

• Nervochel. homeopathic remedy With sedative effect. With increased nervous excitability, you need to dissolve 1 tablet 3 times / day for 2-3 weeks. Contraindications for admission: children under 3 years of age, hypersensitivity to the components.
• Alora. Combination medicine plant origin that is not addictive. It has a sedative, anticonvulsant, analgesic effect. To reduce mental stress, take 1 tablet 3 times / day for 10-14 days (if there is no individual dosage). Caution should be exercised in taking the drug to people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

How to avoid postpartum depression

If you know about the possibility of a postpartum mental disorder, then you can prepare for it. Prevention should begin during pregnancy. To prevent depression, you need to:

• create a warm microclimate in the family;
• visit a family psychologist;
• strengthen immunity through proper nutrition, accessible physical exercise, daily walks on fresh air;
• avoid overwork;
• learn to increase stress resistance (positive attitude, self-control, emotion management).

Video

After childbirth, the mother’s body is exhausted, there are not enough vitamins, including “vitamins of happiness”. Caring for a child takes a lot of energy, there is no time for rest and sleep. The hormonal background also has a great influence on the well-being of a woman.

For nursing mothers in the first months of a baby's life, mood swings and stress, chaotic emotions and mixed feelings, severe physical and emotional fatigue are characteristic. However, some women experience deeper intense experiences, which then develop into postpartum depression.

According to statistics, postpartum depression occurs in 5-7 women out of 10! It is necessary to treat such a depressed state, otherwise it can drag on and bring many problems. As a result, breast milk disappears and lactation worsens. The advanced disease leads to the appearance postpartum psychosis.

How long such an ailment lasts is determined by the woman herself. After all, it depends on the mother, the daily routine and diet, the desire to change something in life and the desire to seek help.

Symptoms and signs

More often, the state of health worsens in the interval of 3-9 months after the birth of the baby. A nursing mother shows a dejected state, irritability and anxiety. It is important to correctly determine whether this is normal fatigue or signs of depression.

Allocate the following symptoms postpartum depression:

• migraine and headaches;
• fatigue and irritability;
• sleep disturbance and insomnia;
• powerlessness and inability to focus on the problem;
• lack of appetite;
• despondency and extreme pessimism;
• mood swings;
• anxiety and fear;
• feelings of anxiety and panic;
• crying and depression;
• anger;
• feeling of loneliness and dissatisfaction;
• feelings of guilt and shame.

These signs are similar to the blues or temporary fatigue. In depression, the symptoms last much longer and are more intense. Please note that postpartum depression in women interferes with daily activities. A nursing mother at this time often loses her desire to take care of the baby.

To the doctor!

If left untreated, postpartum depression can last a year or more! In addition, later it becomes severe and even develops into psychosis. Postpartum psychosis is complex mental illness which includes the following symptoms:

• hallucinations;
• confusion of thoughts and consciousness;
• paranoia;
• rave;
• disorientation in time;
• attempts to harm yourself or your child.

In order to prevent such a serious illness, it is necessary to consult a doctor in time! Seek help if you experience the following symptoms and signs:

• Depression lasts more than two weeks;
• A sharp deterioration in the physical and psychological state;
• Fear of harming the baby;
• It is difficult for a woman to perform daily household chores;
• The mother is unable or unwilling to look after the baby.

The sooner treatment is started, the lower the risk of complications. Proper and intensive treatment will allow you to return to normal faster.

The reasons

Often there is no single reason. The condition and well-being are affected various conditions appearing in aggregate. Great importance the process of childbirth itself, a change in hormonal levels and serious changes in a woman's life, for which she is simply not ready, also has.

The reasons can be divided into three groups:

1. Physical, which arise due to a sharp drop in the level of tarragon, changes in pressure and metabolism, restructuring of hormones and immunity. The result is frequent fatigue, lethargy and depression;
2. Emotional, when experiences, lack of sleep and fatigue, feelings of anxiety and anxiety overload a woman. As a result, she cannot cope with household chores and cannot take care of the baby;
3. Lifestyle renders big influence for a nursing mother. Improper nutrition and daily routine provoke problems in health and relationships. Financial difficulties and conflicts in the family also negatively affect the well-being of women.

Regardless of the causes, the disease must be fought. Let's figure out how to get rid of postpartum depression.

Treatment

If you find symptoms of depression, do not rush to take antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. They will help get rid of the disease, but can cause serious damage to the health of the baby. The compositions of many drugs penetrate into breast milk and negatively affect the well-being of the baby. Substances cause allergies, indigestion and intoxication in a newborn baby. Besides, medicines may impair lactation.

First of all, try to improve your diet and daily routine. Get enough rest, sleep and walk in the fresh air. Reach out to family and friends. It will help to communicate with other mothers who have experienced similar problems. Be sure to take time for yourself!

To find the right treatment and get out of depression, contact a psychotherapist. A properly selected course will help get rid of stress in a few days.

The completed procreation - the birth of an heir, is undoubtedly one of the most significant, long-awaited and natural events in the life of every woman. However, childbirth is a significant test, coupled with colossal stressaffecting all spheres of life of a woman in labor. After childbirth, many mothers experience a feeling of sadness, emptiness, fear, they feel predestined and hopeless.

Depression after childbirth, also referred to as postnatal depression, is an independent type of affective disorder, considered within the pathologies of the depressive spectrum. postpartum depression in women occurs immediately after a short period of time after childbirth. Typically, the symptoms of this type of clinical depression develop and worsen within three months of the birth of the child.

The studies carried out have established that the prevalence of postnatal depression ranges from 10 to 15% of the total number of young mothers. At the same time, experts argue that these figures do not reflect the real situation with the prevalence of postpartum depression. The impossibility to determine the actual number of women who experience symptoms of the depressive triad after childbirth is due to the fact that the vast majority of contemporaries prefer not to apply for medical assistance, trying to overcome the blues on their own.

It is also not possible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of how long depression lasts after childbirth. The duration of a depressive episode varies from person to person. different people. The timing of the disease state depends on the combination of various endogenous factors, such as: general state human health, features of the personal constitution, the degree of satisfaction of basic needs. Of considerable importance in the duration of postpartum depression is external circumstances, such as: a favorable or inappropriate social environment, the quality of a woman's interaction with close relatives.

Types of changes in the psycho-emotional status after childbirth

Psychologists distinguish three types of emotional and mental disorders that can occur in any woman in the postpartum period:

• melancholy;

Postpartum melancholy

Melancholia is a common condition that most women (about 50-60%) experience after a childbirth. According to experts, a change in the emotional background associated with hormonal surges and experienced colossal stresses on the body is a natural phenomenon.

Symptoms of the blues after childbirth are manifested in unreasonable tearfulness, inexplicable sadness, inability to complete social contacts, fatigue, sleep problems, loss of appetite. The peak of negative sensations, according to doctors, falls on days 3-5 and is referred to in psychiatric circles as “despondency of the third day.” However, negative experiences painful symptoms most women disappear on their own within one week to one month after childbirth.

How to get rid of apathy and blues after childbirth? Best recommendation to more quickly overcome the period of melancholy - love, care, support from the close environment and switching attention to positive activities. Psychologists recommend to all newly-made mothers not to limit their field of activity only to caring for the baby. To feel the fullness of life, a woman needs to be in contact with friends, take time for hobbies, not give up studying, and pay attention to maintaining good physical shape. The monotony and routine that are observed in the lives of many women who have recently become mothers naturally worsens their mood and provokes painful thoughts.

postpartum depression

Symptoms of the disorder appear a few days or weeks after childbirth. At the same time, postnatal depression occurs not only in primiparous women. Excruciating depressive symptoms can also overcome mature women who already have the experience of motherhood.

A new mother experiences similar symptoms as with melancholia, but their manifestations are more intense, constant, obsessive and painful. Depressive experiences force certain adjustments in the life of the patient.

To bad mood unpleasant symptoms join: pathological uncontrollable anxiety, irrational fears, anticipation of an imminent tragedy. A woman is overcome by causeless tearfulness, not related to a real-life situation. She is seized by an inexplicable confusion, depriving her of peace, illogical and useless thoughts are haunting her, from which she cannot get rid of the efforts of her will. There is an oppressive feeling of one's own guilt, thoughts about the uselessness and meaninglessness of existence.

Often, with postpartum depression, a woman is unable to perform daily duties and cannot cope with the functions that arise during motherhood. Some women note the addition of a sense of personality change: they feel that they cannot control internal processes.

Observed hypersensitivity to minimal stimuli that were previously ignored. The new mother begins to languish from the depressing feeling that "life will never be the same." She loses interest in various previously pleasant aspects. She refuses intimate relationships, because they do not bring her pleasure.

postpartum psychosis

Postpartum psychosis is a collective term for serious and severe psychotic disorders that occur in the first months after childbirth. Psychosis after childbirth is recorded relatively rarely: in one or two women out of 1000. Symptoms of the disease appear unexpectedly and develop rapidly. Most often, signs of psychosis are noticeable already in the first days after childbirth.

A woman loses the ability to distinguish real events from fictional situations. She may experience true auditory hallucinations: the patient begins to hear "voices" ordering to perform some action. Under the influx of imperative hallucinations, a person may commit dangerous activities: To harm yourself or your own child.

In postpartum psychosis, disorientation and depersonalization may occur. A woman ceases to navigate correctly in time, space, her own personality. Typical symptoms of psychosis after childbirth: unbalanced, excited state, increased motor activity - catatonic arousal. In isolated situations, the opposite phenomenon is observed - a catatonic stupor, manifested by a slowdown or complete inhibition of motor activity. A woman is often distinguished by senseless, strange, unnatural aggressive behavior.

If symptoms of postpartum psychosis occur, immediate hospitalization is required for complex therapy because there is a significant risk of harm to yourself or strangers. The treatment of such psychotic conditions is carried out exclusively in stationary conditions psychiatric clinic.

Causes of postpartum depression

Scientists directly associate postpartum depression with significant biological and psychological changes that occur in a woman's body during pregnancy and childbirth. Against the backdrop of intense chemical processes caused by jump production, concentration and subsequent decrease in the level of hormones: estrogen and progesterone, there are changes in the work of neurotransmitters responsible for the emotional sphere.

The body of a woman does not have time to respond quickly to the ongoing hormonal changes. The brain activates its activity, concentrating its efforts on maintaining homeostasis. Thus, the sphere of feelings and sensations remains the most defenseless, and the risk of clinical depression increases.

Although experts consider the hormonal changes in a woman's body after childbirth to be the most significant factor in the mechanism of development of postpartum depression, there are other hypotheses for the occurrence of an affective disorder. The cause, predisposing and provoking factors in the development depressive states the presence of individual aspects from the list below or a complex combination of unfavorable conditions.

The impetus for the onset of postpartum depression often gives physical exhaustion after the process of labor. physical fatigue accompanies the woman's psycho-emotional stress associated with the expectation of pregnancy resolution.

The culprit of a postnatal depressive episode is often a difficult pregnancy, when the expectant mother was forced to comply with a number of restrictions in order to save the life of the unborn baby. There was a threat of miscarriage or premature birth, painful manifestations of toxicosis, forced stay in the inpatient department of the hospital undermine the woman's psyche. The trigger may be childbirth with complications, when there was a real threat to the life of the mother or child. A long rehabilitation period associated with an unfavorable course of childbirth causes severe stress, which often transforms into a depressive state.

The cause of postnatal depression may be a discrepancy between reality and the desired state. Often a woman, in anticipation of a baby, makes some unrealistic plans or has illusory desires that cannot be instantly fulfilled in reality. After childbirth, there are "imaginary" disappointments associated with the appearance of a new family member. The real picture of life after the birth of a child does not meet the expectations of a person.

A provoking factor is often the woman's dissatisfaction with her relationship with her husband. She painfully perceives the lack of proper moral, physical, material support. The new mother is faced with new difficulties and suffers especially if her husband does not want to take part in caring for his own child.

The foundation for the emergence of affective disorders is a specific personal constitution of a person. Many women suffering from postpartum depression are suspicious and impressionable persons. Patients are characterized by low stress resistance, which makes their personality vulnerable, leads to a break in personal boundaries and causes deterioration. psycho-emotional state. Many people who are prone to depressive experiences are accustomed to fixing their attention on the negative aspects of life. At the same time, their characteristic quality is ignoring the fact of the existence of pleasant and neutral moments of being. They see the world in dark colors, and inflate the slightest trouble to gigantic proportions.

In the anamnesis of many women who have been diagnosed with postpartum depression, there are cases of other disorders of the neurotic and psychotic spectrum. Many of them had previously suffered from other forms of depression, especially premenstrual dysphoric disorder. In the medical history of some patients, there is information about past episodes of phobic anxiety disorders.

Unfavorable heredity should also be considered as an actual risk factor ( genetic predisposition). It has been established that if there was a family history of depressive episodes, then 30% of women are at risk of developing clinical symptoms of the disorder after childbirth.

According to existing criteria, the diagnosis of postpartum (postnatal) depression is established if a depressive episode with the corresponding clinical symptoms of the disorder occurred within six weeks (according to ICD-10) or one month (according to DSM) after childbirth.

Symptoms of postpartum depression

As a result hormonal changes body after childbirth, the emotional background becomes labile. Women experience rapid mood swings. In one moment they can feel joy and fun, in the next moment the young ladies become sad and sad. At the same time, as the disorder worsens, their mood becomes more and more minor. Over time, the patient ceases to rejoice at objectively happy events. Not a single piece of good news can change her dreary mood.

• A woman reacts excessively intensely to the slightest stimuli. She demonstrates excessively violent reactions to minor noises, changes in illumination. It gives special meaning to the standard actions and banal statements of others.
• For persons suffering from a depressive disorder, a feeling of oppressive sadness, inexplicable anger, and irrational anxiety is characteristic. The patient cannot explain the origin of the illogical obsessive fear. Despite the efforts made, a woman is not able to eliminate anxiety and fear.
• Many women experience uncertainty, timidity, confusion. Lack of self-confidence in new role mother contributes to excessive self-criticism and baseless self-accusation. The patient convinces herself that she is a bad mother. She is convinced that she is not taking good care of the baby. She believes that she is not capable of raising a child properly. Thus, a woman hangs a label on herself, the essence of which is: "I am a worthless and insignificant creature, not worthy of respect and love."
• Unreasonable tearfulness is characteristic. They shed tears in situations where the normal response is to smile and laugh. Neither persuasion, nor attempts to cheer up, nor sympathy, nor logical convictions from others can stop their crying.
• There are intrusive negative thoughts about the baby. They are haunted by the idea that by their careless actions they can harm the child. Such obsessive thoughts (obsessions) provoke the need for the patient to regularly perform some kind of protective actions (compulsions). A woman with manic persistence begins to carry out protective measures, for example: she does not allow even the closest relatives to the baby.
• Loss of interest in communicating with the child. They not only do not pay the required attention to the baby, but sometimes they refuse to feed him at all. Patients may become convinced that their own child is or will become a source serious problems. The occurrence of such a symptom is dangerous sign indicating the need for urgent medical intervention.

In the case of a prolonged course of postpartum depression, the disorder manifests itself in a variety of somatic, autonomic, behavioral and emotional symptoms. The most common manifestations:

• sensation constant fatigue , loss of strength, decreased energy, lack of vigor after a long rest;
• inertia, lack of interest in habitual activities;
• loss of pleasure from joyful events;
• formal social isolation: refusal to communicate with others, unwillingness to see loved ones;
• sleep disturbance, insomnia, intermittent sleep, nightmares;
• pathological anxiety to harm the child;
• cognitive impairment: difficulties with memorizing new material, the inability to recall the necessary information, the inability to concentrate on the task being performed;
• motor retardation or agitation;
• change eating behavior: lack of appetite or excessive need for food;
• intrusive thoughts about the meaninglessness of existence;

Treatment for postpartum depression

How to deal with postnatal depression? The main interventions for the treatment of postpartum depression are as follows:

• drug therapy;
• psychotherapy (individual and group sessions);
• art therapy;
• meditation;
• autogenic training;
• rebirthing (special breathing technique);
• hypnosis techniques.

Drug treatment, including antidepressants, tranquilizers and mood stabilizers, is used in extremely rare cases when there is a high risk of suicidal acts. Strict selective approach to application pharmacological preparations explain potential danger for the health of the child included in the composition of the components that penetrate into breast milk. To date, data on side effects medications used for depression and their effects on the developing infant.

However, in severe depression, it is advisable to focus on drug therapy at the initial stage of treatment. As a rule, the patient is prescribed modern antidepressants from the group of selective serotonin inhibitors. To completely eliminate the symptoms of the disorder, taking drugs for at least three months is required. Treatment begins with the appointment of the minimum effective dose. It should be borne in mind that during the period of treatment with antidepressants, a woman should completely abandon breastfeeding.

The main emphasis in the treatment of postnatal depression is on the combination of psychotherapeutic measures with hypnosis sessions. During psychotherapeutic sessions, the doctor explains to the patient the features of her condition. A psychotherapist helps a woman to find out the wrong attitudes that contribute to a depressive mood. The doctor directs the client to work on the elimination of existing complexes and contributes to the formation of adequate self-esteem.

Through hypnosis, it is possible to neutralize the "hidden" mechanisms of depression, revealing the irrational components of the pathology. Hypnosis is indispensable for women in situations where the patient cannot understand why she was captured by an affective disorder. Immersion in a state of trance during hypnosis allows you to make an "excursion" into the past of a person, which makes it possible to establish the true factors that provoked depressive status. Try to contact the psychologist hypnotherapist Alexander Alfeev - help with hypnosis!

How to get out of depression? Women suffering from postpartum depression are advised to fully rest in sufficient quantities, observe balanced diet, perform regularly physical exercises. Important aspect in the treatment of depression - the elimination of the situation when, from day to day, a lady is occupied exclusively with routine affairs. To get rid of the blues, you need to diversify your activities, do not give up hobbies. You should not ignore the healing possibilities of nature: walking in the fresh air, swimming in ponds, staying in the bosom of nature will bring positive feelings of harmony with your own "I" and the world around.

How to deal with the painful signs of depression after childbirth? Of great importance for overcoming postpartum depression is the behavior and attitude of the woman's inner circle. Understanding her inner world”, attention to her experiences, fears, fears help to easily endure difficulties postpartum period. Enough active "doctors" are pets that accept without criticism and sincerely love their mistress.

In the treatment of depression, milotherapy has proven itself well - therapy with the environment. The essence of the technique: the patient's stay in rooms with sufficient natural light, which is decorated in a certain way. color scheme, excluding the "depressive" palette with a dosed supply of red and orange tones. This technique involves filling the rooms with living vegetation, a certain selection of paintings, listening to quiet melodic melodies, watching emotionally deep thematically selected films.

Postpartum depression, which occurs in mild to moderate severity, can be quite quickly and completely cured. In most women who seek help from a psychotherapist, signs of postpartum depression disappear after 5-7 sessions. If the disease is more severe, it is recommended to undergo treatment in inpatient clinics.

Postpartum depression is a common problem for new mothers. Causes of depression, common methods of dealing with them.

What is postpartum depression

Some statistics. From the manifestations of depression, which manifested itself after childbirth, suffer from 10 to 15% of mothers. The peak of disorders falls on the period when the child is 6 months old. Most often, it fades away closer to the year of the crumbs. Another 10% notice depressive states in themselves only in the second year of a baby's life.

What are the causes of postpartum depression

• Physiological or physical causes. Caused by disorders in the thyroid gland, as a result of which the production of progesterone and estrogen decreases in the mother's body. This leads to a change mental state(symptoms are similar to menopausal disorders and manifestations of premenstrual syndrome)
• Anamnestic information about the predisposition to depressive states. Such data can be obtained from the results of monitoring a woman during pregnancy. Alcohol abuse and a hereditary factor can lead to depressive conditions or even mental pathologies.
• social reasons. Very individual and numerous in each particular mother. They directly depend on the woman's environment, family structure, as well as physical and moral support from loved ones. The most common social causes of depression in young mothers are:
  • Inattention or misunderstanding on the part of the partner/husband
  • Financial dependence on parents or other relatives
  • Loss of loved ones
  • Pause in career
  • A woman's desire to conform to maternal ideals imposed by society
• psychological reasons. There are several main similar factors affecting postpartum depressive syndrome:
  • Low resistance to stress
  • Emotional immaturity, infantilism
  • Tendency to hypochondria, suspiciousness
  • Low self-esteem, desire for self-blame
  • Tendency to depression
  • Negative type of thinking

Analysis of symptoms: how postpartum depression manifests itself

• Decay mood. prevails most days and lasts continuously for more than 2 weeks, regardless of external factors. Sadness, melancholy, laconicism, depression are the main symptoms of a mother in depression
• Decreased interest in things that used to bring joy and excitement
• Decreased energy, increased fatigue. Slowness, unwillingness to move (sometimes to the point of falling into a stupor)

• Feelings of guilt, self-flagellation (usually unfounded)
• Decreased self-esteem loss of self-confidence
• Drawing in your mind a bleak, pessimistic outlook
• Sleep and appetite disorder
• Thoughts of suicide (may be accompanied by attempts to act)

How to deal with postpartum depression: treatment methods

Psychotherapy

Medical treatment

So, you have become a mother. The enthusiasm of relatives has died down, the flowers with which the happy dad met you from the hospital have long withered. Harsh weekdays began, filled to the last minute with children's crying, washing, ironing, cleaning and cooking.

You are spinning all day long, like a squirrel in a wheel, and still do not have time for anything. You feel bad, everything falls out of your hands, no one understands you, and your patience is already at the limit. What's happening? Sounds like you have postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is serious illness which can take place in the first few months after childbirth. Postpartum depression in women is caused by a complex mixture of emotional, physical changes that occur in a woman immediately after giving birth.

Symptoms of depression

• Your eyes are constantly in a wet place - you cry with or without reason.
• The crying of a child causes you to have a fit of rage. You are ready to do anything to make this little tyrant finally shut up.
• You persistent feeling that all relatives are watching your every step, and are only waiting for you to do something wrong - then they will rightfully teach you about life.
• You feel completely helpless in the face of circumstances. You have nowhere to hide, no one can help you, protect you and take on the burden of maternal worries. Terrible for myself and even more terrible for the child. At the same time, you do not experience any joy in caring for the baby, although you regularly follow all the doctor's instructions. Yes, you gave birth to this baby, but he is still a stranger to you.
• You are afraid to break loose every minute, so you try to take care of yourself as strictly as possible. But inside you, as if some kind of spring is being compressed, stronger and stronger.
• Sex makes you feel deeply disgusted.
• I don't even want to look at the mirror again. Throughout your pregnancy, you so dreamed that after giving birth you would again become slim and light, but the reality turned out to be too harsh for you. The skinniest jeans are still on the far shelf, and you have to be content with wide hoodies, like in the sixth month. own view annoys you.

Postpartum depression does not necessarily include all of the symptoms described, but if you have at least four of them, this is something to seriously consider.

Why fight depression?

Firstly, not only you suffer from it, but also the child. After all, he, despite the fact that he is very small, also feels that he is a stranger to you. This means that you do not have emotional contact - so important at this tender age. It has been established that postpartum depression of the mother negatively affects the child, especially on the formation of a sense of security, internal mechanisms of self-defense, concentration, and speech development.

Secondly, if there is no outside help and your own internal reserves to fight depression, then it will not “resolve” by itself. On the contrary, your condition will only get worse every day. Remember the stories of mothers and grandmothers about how they remember the first year of their child (especially the first-born) as a nightmare? A nightmare can last from a few days to several years. And the longer it lasts, the more it affects all aspects of family life.

Relatives

Many peoples had a very useful custom - after childbirth, the closest relatives came to the woman in labor for at least a month and took over all homework freeing her new mother. Alas, this wonderful tradition is a thing of the past. But no one bothers you to ask your mother, sister or mother-in-law for help. Moreover, it is better to find an au pair in advance, and not at the moment when you are already at the limit.

Tell me what's happening to you. It only seems to you that everything is clear, and there is nothing to explain here. From the outside, everything looks different. Relatives are advised to refrain from phrases like: “I could pull myself together and not become limp” or “In relation to me, she behaves at least unfairly,” etc. The young mother most of all now needs your comfort, love and real help with the housework.

Agree with your husband that once a week you arrange a "mom's day off." Think in advance how you want to spend it - in a beauty salon, visiting your beloved friend, in the pool, sauna or in a cafe. The main thing is to get out of the house, out of the familiar environment.

Talk to your husband about your reluctance to have sex. Just try to do it tactfully. Doctors do not recommend making love within 4-6 weeks after childbirth - purely physiological reasons. But then keep in mind - sex often helps to get out of depression.

I myself?

Postpartum depression in women is a disease that occurs in the first months after childbirth and is characterized by changes in mental behavior. If you do not have a single free minute for yourself, your beloved, think about whether your life is rationally arranged.

• Good, high-quality semi-finished products from a trusted store or restaurant can come to the rescue. Yes, this is not the cheapest food, but now it is more important for you to spend some time on yourself than on cooking delicacies and pickles.
• Try to sleep as much as possible - preferably with your baby. Another option is to put the baby to sleep on the balcony during the day. If you are afraid that you will fall asleep and not hear his call, a baby monitor will come in handy - a device that allows you to hear every squeak from a distance.
• Don't turn into a "stupid". Try to read at least something other than a cookbook and a TV program for the week. By the way, a great option is to read while breastfeeding. Lie down on your side, move the baby closer to you, put a book behind him. But first, nevertheless, “talk” with the child - after all, he was waiting for this happy moment so much. Look into his eyes, pet him, tell him how good he is. And when he dozes off, you can read.
• Finally, remember your hobby (or start it - now is the time). The main thing is not to let the brains “turn sour” in diapers and cereals.
• Instead of antidepressants, you can take vitamin C and calcium - a young mother experiences a particularly strong need for these substances.
• Choose someone to play the role of a psychotherapist, to whom you can cry about your difficult life. Some husbands do an excellent job with this role, but others themselves are able to become depressed when they learn about the problems of a freshly born woman. Mom is also not very suitable for this role - she is too impressionable. But a sister or girlfriend is best.
• A great way to relax is music and dancing. It is possible with a baby in your arms. Rhythmic movements and vibration of the voice (if you sing along) relax the mother and soothe the baby. By the way, it would be nice to learn the simplest auto-training for relaxation during pregnancy. Almost everyone benefits from being in contact with nature, so a walk in the nearest park can put you in a good mood and improve your complexion at the same time.

Many of the recommendations seem banal and well-known to you. But here the main thing is not theory, but practice. Start doing at least something for yourself, even if for now through force. And the results will not be slow to affect - and on you, and on the child, and on your entire family.

The nine-month wait for a baby is finally over and you have become a mother! Now you have been discharged, numerous acquaintances and relatives sincerely congratulate you, and you ... only dream of them leaving your house as soon as possible. I want only one thing - to relax, and joyful smiles, proclaimed toasts and the unshakable desire of the guests "how this event should be celebrated" cause a feeling of deepest irritation.

Postpartum depression - why does it occur?

Due to postpartum depression, women are able to go "breaking bad". In one seemingly quite prosperous family, the newly-made mother ran away from home with her former boyfriend when the child was one month old. Her husband had to take care of the baby during her absence. A few days later, his wife, having changed her mind, returned and on her knees begged her husband to forgive her, assuring with an oath that she did not even think about betrayal, she just needed a change of scenery.

Overcoming depression is possible

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