Postpartum Depression Research Paper

Words: 468
Pages: 2

Postpartum Depression An average of fifteen percent of all postpartum women in the U.S. suffer from postpartum depression. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2013) define postpartum depression as having intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair that prevent women from being able to do their daily tasks after childbirth. It can occur anytime between the first two months of a woman giving birth up to the first year. Postpartum depression is different from the baby blues in that it lasts longer making it more severe and more difficult to treat. The causes, symptoms, and various treatments will be addressed.
Causes
Physical and emotional changes are two of the biggest contributing factors of postpartum depression. Physical changes include a drop in hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and the thyroid hormone. Also, a change in the body shape, weight, etc. is a big contributing factor. Emotional changes come with the mother having less social time which, in turn, leads to a change in relationships between friends, family, and even the spouse. The Mayo Clinic (2015) states, when you're sleep deprived and overwhelmed, you may have trouble handling even minor problems and you may be anxious about your ability to care for a newborn.
…show more content…
These symptoms include: anxiety, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, loss of appetite, and difficulty bonding with the baby. A postpartum mother should see a doctor if the symptoms do not fade after two weeks, they get worse, or you have harmful thoughts towards you and/or your baby (Mayo Clinic,