For many mothers, in addition to the pain of giving birth, what is even more terrifying is the extremely lonely and dark depressive stage after childbirth. This mental state makes it difficult to breathe, see, and hear. In extreme cases, it can even cause the mother and her child to be swallowed up by it. There are many media reports on this.
What these reports have in common is that the mother herself did not realize that she was in a state of depression, and therefore did not seek medical treatment in time. The family, especially the husband, did not realize it and did not provide sufficient understanding and care.
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What is postpartum depression ?
We need to distinguish between "postpartum depression" and "postpartum depression".
The most significant difference between postpartum depression and postpartum depression is: Postpartum depression meets the diagnostic criteria of the disease and is a disease that must be treated; while postpartum depression is an emotion and a state, and its progression needs to be prevented.
More than 50% of new mothers will show depressive emotions and symptoms for a period of time after giving birth, but not to the level of " depression ". This is what we call "postpartum depression".
Postpartum depression can be relieved quickly as long as it receives appropriate and warm support.
Am I suffering from "postpartum depression"?
Postpartum depression will have the following symptoms:
Mood is low during the day and high at night, showing the phenomenon of day and night reversal. Poor sleep or severe insomnia
Feeling without hope and value, without self-confidence, feeling depressed, and crying for no reason.
Appetite increases or decreases greatly, and weight gain or loss changes greatly.
Loss of interest in children and thoughts of harming themselves or their children.
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Some people with postpartum depression may also have panic and fantasies. For example, as soon as the child coughs, they will immediately fear whether it is pneumonia? Sometimes when I look at the children sleeping peacefully on the bed, I worry that I will not be able to protect them when they grow up, or that they will be abducted by human traffickers and all kinds of disasters will happen to them.
Sometimes I feel so tired and feel that living is suffering, but sometimes when I see the smiling face of my child, I am suddenly filled with maternal love and happiness. The mood of mothers with postpartum depression often wanders between these two extremes, making it difficult to settle down.
2 The three stages of postpartum depression 1. Postpartum depression will occur in more than 80% of mothers. It usually appears 3 to 5 days after delivery and lasts for a short period of time. Most people will recover on their own after a few days. 2. Postpartum depression Approximately 13~19% of pregnant women will suffer from it. Postpartum depression mostly manifests as persistent and severe low mood, irritability, strong sense of guilt, sleep disorder , usually onset within 6 weeks after delivery, and some can recover on their own within 3 to 6 months, but some severe patients will Lasts for 1 to 2 years. 3. Postpartum psychosis 0.1~0.5% of women will develop psychotic symptoms. auditory hallucinations , persecutory delusions , etc. appear. When these situations occur, you must go to the hospital as soon as possible and follow the doctor's instructions. Don't think that you can handle it alone. You should face it when you need treatment! 3 How to regulate postpartum emotions 1. Pay attention to psychological adjustment After having children, mothers’ values will suddenly change. After all, there is an extra living person in their vitality! Accept all this calmly, he has come into your life. A stable mentality is helpful to help mothers get rid of negative emotions. You can do some things you like to do to relieve yourself. 2. Relax your emotions What the mother has to do is to relax her mind and wait for the hormone levels in her body to adjust and stabilize. The body also needs some time to recover. Don’t be impatient and take your time! 3. Seek help from family members. This can be communicated with family members before pregnancy. In fact, many conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law occur after giving birth to children. Try to let family members understand that they should not just be immersed in the joy of adding a new baby and ignore the psychological changes of the mother. Differences in education and living habits will cause these contradictions. Dad’s presence is crucial. In raising children, the mother must take the dominant position. In addition to helping to take care of the children, the father should also serve as a peace ambassador to help deal with frictions with the elders and provide full support and understanding. 4. Face the problem correctly If a mother has symptoms of abnormal postpartum mood, don’t think it’s the woman, but face this problem squarely! It is necessary to treat scientifically and cooperate with the treatment under the guidance of a doctor in a timely manner. 5. Learn to let yourself go Let go of too many demands on yourself. Many mothers experience slow lactation during confinement and severe body shape deformation after giving birth. In fact, every mother will experience this situation. You must believe that everything will be on track and let yourself relax. 6. Try to ensure sleep and rest Since the time for newborns to feed and sleep is not fixed, it is difficult for mothers to get enough rest, which will seriously affect their mental state and emotions. Mothers must learn to create various conditions to allow themselves to sleep. When their children fall asleep peacefully, mothers put other things aside for the time being and seize the time to close their eyes and relax. Families with the conditions are highly recommended to hire a confinement nanny or choose a professional confinement center to share some of the parenting work. When the mother returns home from the hospital, it is also necessary to limit the number of visitors and create a quiet, comfortable and hygienic rest environment. New mothers, postpartum depression is not your fault, it is most likely due to changes caused by physiological factors.. Taking care of a baby for the first time is bound to be hectic, and the baby crying is definitely not because you didn't do a good job. As for new dads, your wife is not crying or not brave anymore, it’s just that physical changes have temporarily changed her. She is still the wife you love. Children are the best gift from God, but you are the one you should love the most. Yao Yao wishes all the expectant mothers and new mothers in the world to successfully complete the transformation of their life identities.
