Postpartum Depression: Reach Out and Get Help
Having a baby can be one of the happiest and most magical life experiences. It’s also a very daunting launch into a new role of great responsibility. Many women experience the “baby blues,” a short-lived episode of sadness following delivery. These feelings are often complicated by a sense of guilt over feeling sad during what should be a time of joy. Baby blues are experienced by 70 to 80 per cent of women.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a longer lasting, deeper depression that affects 10 per cent of women. The primary cause of PPD is the hormonal roller coaster that occurs after delivery. Adapting to a new role, transitions in relationships with partners, financial stressors, lack of sleep and the myriad of other stressors that occur after having a baby contribute to PPD. Untreated PPD can lead to a more chronic depression. In its darkest form, PPD can also lead to thoughts of self-harm and thoughts of harm to others, including baby.
PPD often goes unrecognized The busy job of caring for a new baby and the guilt and shame of feeling down in a “happy time” contribute to the silence around PPD. If you experience symptoms of depression after pregnancy or know of a loved one who experiences symptoms, there is a standardized and validated tool called the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS).
This 10-item questionnaire can be helpful in diagnosing PPD: www.fresno.ucsf.edu/pediatrics/downloads/edinburghscale.pdf
PPD is treatable Support, counselling and medication are all potential options for treatment. Reach out, acknowledge that it exists and get help!
Local resources – Post-Partum Support Group, call 519-472-7719 for phone support. – Talk to supportive and understanding friends, family or partner. – Call the Distress Centre, if necessary, at 519-667-6711. – Contact the Middlesex-London Health Unit at 519-663-5317.
Dr. Bhooma Bhayana is a family physician in London and the mother of two young men and proud grandmother of three! She continues to find wonder and enjoyment in family practice despite more than 30 years on the job!
