Nearly 13 percent of women experience depression during and after pregnancy, according to WomensHealth.gov. Some women have the baby blues, while others develop more serious postpartum depression. While most cases of the baby blues do not require treatment, postpartum depression does. Treatment for postpartum issues might include medication and therapy. The diagnosis and treatment, if required, determine how the mother and infant are affected.
Baby Blues
Most women experience some degree of the baby blues after childbirth. Women often feel exhausted, overwhelmed and anxious instead of the joy they expected to feel. The symptoms of baby blues are mild and include sadness, weeping, moodiness, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite and problems concentrating. The baby blues often appear a few days after childbirth and usually last for a few days to a couple of weeks. The baby blues are probably caused in part by hormonal changes. Hormones return to normal within a week or two and the new mother begins to feel better.
Postpartum Depression
The early symptoms of postpartum depression resemble those of the baby blues: mood swings, weeping, irritability and insomnia. However, the symptoms of postpartum depression are more severe and last longer. Postpartum depression causes more severe anxiety. Mothers have intrusive thoughts of harming the baby or themselves and might show little interest in caring for themselves or the baby. Postpartum depression typically begins soon after childbirth and worsens over the next few months. Some women develop postpartum depression months after childbirth. You are at higher risk for postpartum depression if you have had a previous episode of depression, severe premenstrual syndrome or if your pregnancy was unplanned. Stressful events, lack of emotional support and difficult pregnancy or delivery also increase the risk for postpartum depression.
Postpartum Psychosis
Postpartum psychosis is an extremely serious and rare condition that usually starts in the first two weeks after childbirth and often resembles mania. For every 1,000 births, only about one to four births results in postpartum psychosis for the mother, according to WomensHealth.gov. You are at higher risk for postpartum psychosis if you have bipolar or schizoaffective disorder. The symptoms include hallucinations, hearing voices, delusions, paranoia, confusion, rapid mood swings and attempts to harm the baby or yourself. Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency that usually requires hospitalization to ensure the safety of mother and child.
Untreated Depression
Untreated depression during a pregnancy can affect the health of the mother and baby. The pregnant woman may eat poorly, sleep poorly, gain insufficient weight or too much weight and ignore prenatal care, all of which can result in a premature or low-birth-weight baby. Untreated postpartum depression risks the health and safety of the mother and the baby. A severely depressed mother can fail to meet the baby's needs. Guilt and worry can worsen the depression. Untreated postpartum depression also can affect the baby's growth and development, including language development and failure to bond with the mother. A depressed mother can result in a child with behavioral and attachment problems.
