Thursday, October 9, 2008

What is Postpartum Depression

There has been much debate over the subject of Postpartum Depression these days, no small part of which are comments made by some that not only can this condition be treated by "vitamins and exercise" but by the fact that some even debate whether the condition actually exists in the first place.  If you're a new mom and think that you are experiencing postpartum depression but are afraid of talking to anyone because of what they might say, please keep reading.

The first thing to remember about any case of depression is that there are new facts being learned about it every single day.  The more scientists are able to understand about how the body and the brain work together, the more accurate they are in medical diagnoses.  Many doctors agree that postpartum depression does exist and is the result of a wide combination of factors.  A new mother is facing a surge of female hormones that often trigger emotional episodes, including depression.  Many of her body's systems are also maladjusted, and this includes some of the chemicals in the brain that regulate mood.  On top of all of these things, postpartum depression may also be caused or aggravated by her lack of sleep from having to get up and take care of the baby several times during the night.A New mom's health and emotions can really be beated up when there is a combination of these two factors!

It's thought that some cases of Postpartum Depression are more likely to strike women who are already prone to depression or who have had this condition even before becoming pregnant.  This seems like a logical conclusion; if a woman has a tendency to be overweight before becoming pregnant it's likely that she will have a more difficult time taking off the weight after pregnancy.  Having a condition before pregnancy would logically make one more prone to having it after pregnancy, and postpartum depression is no different.

Sometimes you will find advocates that postpartum depression is not only brought on by physical factors but also many emotional factors as well.Motherhood is shown to women as a constant state of happiness full of laughter and a love but then reality can hit a young mom with a crying baby at 2 in the morning.  This disappointment can reach the point of depression.  Or some who experience postpartum depression have expected the child to solve problems in their life, such as bringing them closer to their spouse, or making up for a lack of self-esteem, and so on.  When these things don't happen just automatically with the arrival of the baby, the mother feels angry, guilty, let down, and so on.  This too can progress to the point of postpartum depression. 

Doctors today are becoming more responsive to the condition and are more aware and alert to what it means and what may legitimately cause it.Your Doctor is the best reourse for information on how to get through the stages of postpartum depression.

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