Paying attention to your mental health throughout your pregnancy and the months after giving birth is important to distinguish between the more common “baby blues” and the more serious conditions postnatal depression and postnatal anxiety.
As many as 80% of parents experience the so-called baby blues, brought on by the life-changing experience of bringing home a newborn. The first few weeks of parenting can bring ups and downs of emotion due to fluctuating hormones, changing sleep patterns and adjusting to new family relationships.
If these feelings become more severe and do not go away after a few weeks, a medical professional may suspect that the person may be suffering from PPD or PPA and require professional intervention.
“Depression and anxiety can occur during pregnancy and after birth, and in the past there was a stigma attached to it,” says Miranda Salke, a certified nurse-midwife at UC Health Women’s Care Clinic in Steamboat Springs. “Now people are talking about it a lot more openly. We want women to know they’re not alone.”
Salkey is passionate about the importance of mental health care during pregnancy and postpartum, and would like to see the community educated and more aware of its importance.
What are PPD and PPA?
According to Salki, postnatal depression and fatigue can include feeling overwhelmed by sadness and difficulty carrying out normal daily tasks, and can also be accompanied by an inability to care for oneself or one’s child. This affects up to one in eight women, and can affect both the mother and her partner.
Other symptoms include:
- Changes in eating habits and sleep patterns
- Difficulty bonding with your baby or others
- Persistent feelings of anxiety and depression
- Not interested in anything in general
- Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or your baby
A key component of successful treatment is for patients and their partners to communicate with their healthcare providers throughout pregnancy to try to head off serious issues before they occur. This can be achieved by sharing any risk factors that may increase the risk of PPD or PPA, such as a past history of psychiatric illness.
“One of the first steps is to be open and willing to share what’s going on during your pregnancy,” Salke says. “Partners can be valuable during this time by helping evaluate how the other is doing and relaying any questions or concerns to a professional.”
Who is at risk?
Healthcare providers screen patients during pregnancy, after delivery, and at postnatal visits to try to determine who may be at higher risk for depression. Other factors that may make someone more susceptible to PPD or PPA include a history of mental illness, lack of family support, housing instability, and financial instability. Experiencing a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit or experiencing an infant death are also risk factors.
“While there are factors that increase your risk, we know that it can happen to anyone and it’s not something to be ashamed of or blamed for,” Salke says. “We want to make sure people get the help and support they need. We spend a lot of time educating people during their pregnancy, and especially after they leave hospital, so they don’t feel surprised or guilty if they’re overcome by depression, anxiety or sadness.”
How to help
For those experiencing depression or anxiety after giving birth, Salke recommends exercise, prioritizing sleep, mindful meditation, and a healthy, balanced diet, and in many cases, medication is also a good option.
Other resources include:
- Specialist in perinatal mood disorders.
- Support Group:
- Lactation clubs are held every Wednesday at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs and every Monday at the UCHealth Women’s Care Clinic in Craig, where participants can receive breastfeeding support and meet and build relationships with other parents.
- Newborn Network Baby Groups meet every Tuesday at Discovery Learning Center in Steamboat.
- Mother’s Circle meets every Tuesday at Bud Warner Memorial Library.
- Social worker and hospital case management assistance.
- Postpartum Support International: 1-800-944-4773.
- Suicide/Crisis Line: 988.
“Patients need to be kind to themselves and not be afraid to ask for help,” Salke says. “Perhaps they should cut back on social media; there are so many people out there who make parenting look so glamorous, but it doesn’t help people understand what the reality is for a lot of people.”
