Baby Blues or PPMD ?
Baby Blues
“ Baby blues ” refers to the fluctuating emotions that often occur during the first weeks after giving birth . Baby blues may include crying or feeling sad , impatience or irritability , feeling restless or anxious , or general moodiness . This time can be a bit of an emotional roller-coaster , as a mother experiencing baby blues may find herself crying one moment and laughing the next . Baby blues usually begins within two or three days after birth and subsides between two and three weeks postpartum , and up to 80 % of all women experience it to some degree . Baby blues generally improves a little each day with plenty of rest , good nutrition and support .
Postpartum Mood Disorders
Mood Disorders ( PPMDs ), including Postpartum Depression , Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum Psychosis , differ from baby blues . Symptoms are more severe , longer lasting and do not get better with time . PPMDs can occur for a variety of reasons and affect up to 10-15 % of new mothers . They can happen any time in the first year , but usually occur in the first three months after birth . It is important for you and other support people to recognize the symptoms and seek treatment if a PPMD is suspected . PPMDs can be treated through one or more therapeutic , holistic and medical options .
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Symptoms of PPMDs Risk Factors for PPMDs
• Extreme anxiety , panic attacks , obsessive
• Lack of a strong support network thoughts or behavior
• A history of drug or alcohol abuse ,
• Persistent and prolonged feelings of sadness , depression , anxiety , PTSD , or other mental anger and / or fear or frequent crying illness , either personally or a family history
• Overwhelming fatigue and / or inability to
• Stressful life circumstances before , during or function normally after the birth ( financial difficulties , difficult
• Little interest or joy in life , difficulty pregnancy , moving , divorce , death , or concentrating or feeling disconnected difficult birth experience )
• Sleep difficulties - either sleeping all the time • Difficult , unplanned or unwanted pregnancy or inability to sleep , even if baby is sleeping
• Significant weight change or altered appetite
• Lack of interest in baby
PPMDs are not uncommon and if you experience these symptoms , it is not because you are “ going crazy ” or because you did something wrong . PPMDs arise after birth for a number of reasons . It is important to remember that you are not alone and the sooner you get help , the sooner you can start to recover .
Post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) may affect 1-10 % of postpartum women . Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares , flashbacks , withdrawal , anxiety , and / or avoidance of reminders of the event . Support groups , self-care techniques and other professional treatment options can help mothers recover .
Approximately 1 in every 1000 women experience severe and alarming symptoms of postpartum psychosis , such as hallucinations , extreme agitation , paranoia or the desire to harm herself or her family . If any of these symptoms occur , seek immediate help .
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Life with Baby