Post pardum depression occurs in about 15% of all women after having a baby. It can happen because of the major stress the body goes through with the hormone changes. Hormones go crazy when a woman is pregnant and then when the baby is born, the body goes through a dramatic change again. It is common for women to suffer from post pardum depression and do dramatic things during this period. The depression has been known to last several months. Signs and symptoms of post pardum depression include low self esteem, sadness, social withdraw, and feeling inadequate to take care of the baby.
The feeling of sadness can be so overwhelming to the body and cause the mother to be unable to function. This feeling can cause the mother to neglect the newborn or reject the newborn, which can lead to the baby being malnourished and even unhappy.
Low self esteem is common with post pardum depression because a woman's body is going to take time to get back to normal. Many women can't stand to look at themselves in the mirror because of how their body looks with the pregnancy. They might be upset they cannot fit in their clothes right away and just now noticing the weight gain that they put on through the pregnancy. Low self esteem is a common symptom.
Feeling inadequate to take care of the baby is a common sign of post pardum depression. A woman might feel like she is a bad mother and like she just can't do it. Some women have been known to injure and even kill their children during attacks of post pardum depression. It can be dangerous for any baby if the mother is experiencing it.
Other signs you might notice of post pardum depression is that the mother feels social withdraw and doesn't want to go anywhere or do anything. She wants to stay at home. She won't want to do the things that she normally did that made her happy because she is experiencing an inability to enjoy those things. She might be feeling empty inside.
If you notice signs of post pardum depression, then you should contact your doctor immediately. The main concern is getting mom back to where she needs to be and making sure the baby is not in any danger of neglect.
