Causes Of Postpartum Depression And How To Deal With It

Many mothers go through postpartum depression and don't know why or how they are experiencing it. This post informs mothers of the causes or postpartum and how to deal with it and why it is important to get help.

Biological Changes

GIPHY / Via gph.is

Many mothers have hormonal changes in their bodies after birth which can affect their emotional state. P153

Fatigue

GIPHY / Via gph.is

Giving birth takes a lot out of a mother and it's hard to recover and take care of a newborn baby at all times of the day. For some mothers the exhaustion lingers and it takes over the mothers body. P153

Overwhlemed

GIPHY / Via gph.is

Many mothers feel overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of becoming a mother and shut down. P153

Increased demands within the home

Quick Meme / Via quickmeme.com

Women tend to have a busy schedule in our society and taking care of a newborn child on top of that can add more pressure and again cause a mother to shut down. P153

Sense of anticlimax

GIPHY / Via gph.is

Many mothers tell pregnant women how wonderful having a child is and how fulfilling it feels to be a mother. The pregnant women build up motherhood to be this magical experience and once they giver birth they don't feel as they'd hoped. P153

Feelings of inadequacy

GIPHY / Via gph.is

Many mothers feel like all their efforts to being a good mother just never work out and they feel like they are not fulfilling the needs of their baby. Mothers think that because they are not having 'maternal instincts' they are not cut out to be mothers P153

Lack of support system

GIPHY / Via gph.is

When mothers don't have anyone to help them through motherhood they lose hope and feel like there's no point at trying because there is no one there to make them feel like they can do it. P153

Get help

Funny Junk / Via funnyjunk.com

The best way to get help when you find yourself having symptoms of postpartum depression is to go through therapy. In some cases mothers might be prescribed medication to help them get passed postpartum depression. P153

Babies mimic maternal behaviors

GIPHY / Via gph.is

If a mother goes without treatment the child will mimic the emotions of the mother. The child could in the long run have attachment issues and may possibly act out as they grow. P153

Happy mother happy baby

GIPHY / Via gph.is

Once the mother has gotten treatment the relationship between the baby and her can go on normally. The baby can benefit so much from creating and attachment with it's mother and can imitate the mother's happy feelings. P251

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/basics/definition/con-20029130

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/postpartumdepression.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/health/thinking-of-ways-to-harm-her.html?_r=0

http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/postpartum-depression.aspx

http://www.apa.org/pi/women/resources/reports/postpartum-dep.aspx