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Why does becoming a parent sometimes lead to more than a case of the baby blues?
We look at postnatal depression in mums... and dads.
BABY BLUES
The birth of a baby is
supposed to be a joyful time
but this isn’t always the case
for new mums and dads, for
various reasons. While half of
all mums go through a normal
phase of the ‘baby blues’ for
a few days, some develop a
more serious condition called
Postnatal Depression (PND).
Some refuse to seek help
because they feel guilty for
feeling down at a time when
they are supposed to be on top
of the world. Others worry that
admitting to not being happy
will make people think they are
unfit mothers.
Is it the baby blues or PND?
It can be tricky to distinguish
between the milder ‘baby
blues’ and PND. Baby blues
are generally less intense than
PND and kick in three or four
days after the birth of your
child. You might feel weepy,
anxious, irritable and tense
for a few days but this usually
lifts shortly afterwards, unlike
PND, which carries on for
considerably longer: weeks,
months or even up to a year
if you don’t seek help. PND
sometimes follows on from
a bout of the baby blues but
it can occur separately and
most likely to strike within one
to six months after the birth of
your child.
What are the symptoms?
PND shares the same
symptoms as other forms of
depression, including:
• feeling sad and teary a lot
of the time for no obvious
reason
• lack of enjoyment in things
that you previously looked
forward to or enjoyed
• being on a short fuse with
family members and others
• sleeping too much or not
getting enough
• lack of appetite
• feeling tense, worrying
obsessively about your baby’s
health and safety, panic
attacks
• feeling a failure, that nothing
you do is right
• feeling suicidal - this requires
prompt medical attention.
Who’s affected?
Approximately one in every
ten mothers suffers from PND,
although the number could be
higher as not all women seek
medical help.
Mild PND can often be
overcome by support and TLC
from your family and friends.
A more severe case will
probably need your doctor’s
help and antidepressants
may be prescribed. Health
visitors are trained to look out
for signs of PND and often
give new mums a special test
called the Edinburgh Postnatal
Depression Scale to see how
they’re doing in the first six
months. Counselling can also
work well to help you overcome
the illness. It is essential to get
help as soon as possible as the
earlier the illness is caught,
the easier and speedier it can
be treated and you can start
enjoying life as a parent.
Will people think I am a
bad mother?
Absolutely not! Many mums
suffer needlessly in silence
because they are worried that
Can dads get PND too?
healthcare professionals will
Yes, and mental health charity
think they are an unfit parent
MIND has \