For a new mother, postnatal depression is a debilitating yet common condition. While most women develop short-lasting baby blues, around one in seven Australian mothers develop postnatal depression. This severe form of depression extends beyond the first days of your baby’s life and worsens with time.
Postnatal depression usually occurs after a woman’s first birth. A new mother may develop postnatal depression a few days after giving birth, though it can come on after a few weeks for others. New fathers can also develop postnatal depression if their partner’s symptoms are extreme.
While depression already creates challenges, postnatal depression comes with the additional difficulties of caring for a new baby. You now have the responsibility of caring for a new life, and you also must recover from labour. Postnatal depression’s long-term effects on you and your baby make it crucial to seek adequate mental health treatment if symptoms arise.
Fortunately, recovery from postnatal depression is possible with time and effort. Family and friends play vital roles in helping a depressed mother recover. Additionally, professional counselling is instrumental in facilitating a smooth adjustment into parenthood.
Symptoms of Postnatal Depression
The symptoms of postnatal depression can vary in severity and are different for every woman — some cases occur suddenly, while others develop over a few weeks. Because postnatal depression can have a gradual onset, it can go unnoticed for long periods.
The most common symptoms of postnatal depression include:
- Negative thoughts
- Sleeping too little or not enough
- Feeling afraid to be alone
- Struggling to concentrate or remember things
- Trouble bonding with the baby
- Feeling that the future is hopeless
- High emotional sensitivity
- Feeling irritable and resentful
- Extreme worrying about the baby
- Guilt and low self-esteem
- Decreased appetite
- Panic attacks or increased anxiety
- Decreased sex drive
You may develop several symptoms or only experience a few. More extreme cases of postnatal depression can make you consider causing physical harm to your family. If you experience intense thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, it’s critical to seek mental health treatment promptly.
If you experience these symptoms for two or more weeks within your baby’s first year, you may have postnatal depression. Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose you. Seeking postnatal depression counselling early on will help you avoid more severe symptoms.
Contributing Factors to Postnatal Depression
Adjusting to a new baby can be difficult, especially if it’s your first child. Perth mothers experience some significant changes associated with the condition. The following changes may contribute to the negative thoughts and feelings that come with postnatal depression.
Physical Changes
Even if the birthing process was easy for you, it wasn’t easy for your body. You need adequate time to adjust to the physical changes of giving birth. Although a smooth adjustment won’t prevent postnatal depression, it may help you cope with the symptoms.
Physical changes such as weight gain can impact your self-esteem after your baby is born. As a new mother’s hormone levels suddenly return to normal, the decrease in progesterone and estrogen can cause mood swings and other issues. Additionally, changes in sleeping patterns can contribute to postnatal depression.
Emotional Changes
The responsibilities of caring for a new baby can be overwhelming, especially for a first-time mother. Motherhood introduces a new family dynamic requiring further compromises, schedules, and more. These unavoidable emotional changes alone can catapult a new mother into a deep depression.
The many sacrifices a person makes to raise a newborn baby can be jarring. A new mother must cope with sacrificing independence to care for a child. Having a reliable support system is essential in handling these emotional changes and staying grounded.
Dealing with so many drastic changes at once can be a lot to handle. Combine these changes with a lack of sleep and a recovering body, and being a new mother can seem impossible.
Social Changes
Society holds women to high standards, and there are even higher expectations for mothers. The pressures of society regarding motherhood can increase stress and cause a new mother to withdraw from social activities. Feeling unsupported and alone can worsen symptoms of isolation.
For single mothers, the social changes of juggling work and motherhood are also contributors to postnatal depression. Adapting your new life around your newborn’s schedule is difficult but necessary. Many workplaces offer maternity time off to help make these changes easier.
Other factors that may contribute to postnatal depression include preexisting conditions such as anxiety and depression. If you had a difficult pregnancy, suffered painful life events such as death, or don’t have adequate support, you may also be prone to postnatal depression. A history of trauma and relationship problems can also increase your chances of developing this condition.
Postnatal Depression and Relationships
A woman with postnatal depression may withdraw from all close relationships. As a common symptom of the condition, a mother may even withdraw from her baby. Such a withdrawal can prevent proper bonding and cause relationship issues for everyone in the household, so it’s crucial to have a support system to care for your baby if you develop postnatal depression.
With such a drastic change as a new life in the household, the exhaustion of new responsibilities and maintaining relationships can seem impossible at first. Everyone adapts to change differently. Struggling to bond with your newborn doesn’t make you an inadequate or incapable mother.
A new child can put a strain on your relationship despite the most supportive efforts. A woman suffering from postnatal depression may feel that the relationship is irreparable and withdraw from her spouse. Most relationships return to normal after postnatal depression leaves.
Couples struggling with postnatal depression can benefit from the following tips to keep their relationship healthy until it passes:
- Learn about postnatal depression together
- Maintain honest communication
- Plan regular date nights
- Try healthy coping activities to deal with stress, such as exercising or dancing
- Discuss guidelines for new household responsibilities
- Avoid making significant career or relationship decisions
- Seek professional help from a mental health counsellor or relationship expert
Fathers and Postnatal Depression
Men can also develop postnatal depression. First-time fathers and men with few friends, little support, or mental and physical health problems can experience similar symptoms as women. It’s just as crucial for fathers to seek postnatal depression help before symptoms become unbearable.
Having a supportive partner goes far in helping a mother with postnatal depression. The exhaustion a new mother experiences can leave her stretched thin. Picking up extra responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning, taking care of the baby, and encouraging self-care are beneficial.
Seeking Help for the Postnatal Blues
Postnatal depression treatment is most effective when combined with adequate support from loved ones. Individual talk therapy or support groups are also great treatment options. With technological advancements, you can also connect with sufferers of postnatal depression anywhere in the world.
There are many resources in Australia for dealing with the mental health challenges of having a new baby. Postnatal depression counselling is an effective way to seek help if you have symptoms. Your general practitioner or an experienced mental health counsellor can help you navigate postnatal depression and cope with new changes.
More extreme cases of postnatal depression may warrant antidepressants or other medications to improve your mood. While effective, they may not be effective for dealing with the temporary inconveniences of the disorder. Your doctor will know which medications to prescribe, additionally, Wikipedia provides a lot of useful information on this topic. Click here to find out more
If you’re suffering from post natal depression in Perth, the Energetics Institute in Perth, Western Australia, is happy to help you. We are a top solution for local mothers when they need compassionate, practical help treating their postnatal depression. Contact our office to schedule an appointment or book online for Perth depression counselling.
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