Postpartum Depression

Do not feel embarrassed to discuss it with your health care provider. They know the resources in your area and can help you find support you need.

What is Postpartum Depression (PPD)?

Postpartum means " after birth" and postpartum illness is a term used to describe a range of emotional problems that can negatively affect a mother after giving birth. Some women experience postpartum illness right after birth, but it can happen anytime during the first year. There are three categories of postpartum illness:

1. Postpartum Blues: It will usually affect women within the first 3 days after giving birth and last for a few days to a few weeks.
2. Postpartum Depression: This is more serious than the postpartum blues and lasts more than 2-6 weeks.
3. Postpartum Psychosis: This is the most severe form of postpartum illness and also the rarest. It usually will affect a new mother 3 to 14 days after birth and requires immediate medical attention.

Women with postpartum depression may: (New mothers or experienced mothers)

• Feel very tired
• Be unable to sleep when they want
• Feel that things are not right
• Feel hopeless
• Cry for no reason
• Be confused about how they could feel this way with a new baby
• Think about harming themselves or their babies
• Feel "panic"

• Worry a lot about their health or the health of the baby
• Have trouble sleeping or relaxing
• Have change in appetite
• Have difficulty making decision

If you have some of these feelings or behaviors, you may be depressed even though other people may not see your depression.  Many women wonder how they could feel sad when they think they should be happy about being a mother. This can be a confusing time.

Psychological or emotional disorders are among the least understood in society, despite their prevalence. In fact, PPD has been around for centuries.

Today, the silence is being replaced by the voices of women talking, learning, caring and healing. If you want to feel better, you must look around for resources and take advantage of them. A good place to start is: Community Cradle . We offer support groups, and we can refer you to other agencies and organizations that can also help. Contact us at 518-426-1153 or e-mail us at Information@communitycradle.org.

Another thing you can do is visit your public library or local bookstore and get some books on the topic. At Community Cradle's resource library you can find and lend titles such us:

• Mothering the New Mother- " Women's Feelings and Needs After Childbirth" by Sally Placksin
• This Isn't What I Expected?-Overcoming Postpartum Depression by Karen R. Kleiman, MSW and Valerie D. Raskin, MD
• Postpartum Survival Guide by Donnewold Sanford
• Shouldn't I Be Happy? by Shaila Misri, MD
• Beyond the Blues by Bennett and Indman
• How You Can Survive When They are Depressed?  by Sheffield
• Sleepless Days- " One Woman's Journey Through Postpartum Depression" by Susan Koshner Resnick
• And more...

The internet is a wonderful resource, we recommend visiting:

Depression After Delivery www.depressionafterdelivery.com

Center for Postpartum Health www.postpartumhealth.com

Postpartum Stress Center www.postpartumstress.com

Postpartum Support International (PSI) www.postpartum.net

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION KNOWLEDGE PATH AVAILABLE: http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_postpartum.html.

News from Child Trends: April 4, 2006
Beyond Pills: Life Experiences Affect Maternal Depressive Symptoms…and Kids
Child Trends' newest research brief, Depression Among Moms: Prevalence, Predictors, and Acting Out Among Third Grade Children. examines maternal depression and complements the biomedical study just released in the March 22, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. NEWS RELEASE

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