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Postpartum depression
Fifteen to 20 percent of Canadian women experience postpartum depression (PPD), though many don’t know what is wrong until someone puts a name to it. It can happen to anyone
Nancy Pristas seems an unlikely candidate for depression: She had wonderful pregnancies, natural childbirth and a supportive husband. It is difficult for someone who has never gone through a depression to understand how it feels.
Like almost all women who experience PPD, Pristas eventually recovered fully and is leading a busy and happy life. And she shares what she has learned by coordinating the Post Partum Support Group in London, Ont.
PPD has many faces: Some women have mild depression, while others are completely overwhelmed. The symptoms may begin within weeks of the baby’s birth, or they may not appear until a year later.
What is PPD like?
PPD is different from “the baby blues,” which many women experience soon after giving birth. These tend to pass within a day or two. But if unprovoked crying, emotional outbursts and irritability last beyond two weeks, says public health nurse Madeline Ryan, it could be the beginning of PPD, and a woman should seek help.
For Molly, “everything went flat.” She was unable to motivate herself to do anything. Everyone told Molly that this was supposed to be a happy time, but her life seemed to be layer upon layer of sadness and isolation.
Pristas says women with PPD are often upset by feelings that they don’t want or love their baby. Pristas reassures women that love will grow with time. And public health nurse Madeline Ryan emphasizes that despite their feelings of inadequacy, “depressed moms give good care to their babies.”
Symptoms of PPD
• major, prolonged unhappiness
• feeling of complete exhaustion
• anxiety — a pounding heart, tight chest or difficulty breathing
• lack of interest in the baby
• sleeping or eating disturbances
• inability to concentrate
• feelings of helplessness, inadequacy, loneliness or guilt
• thoughts of suicide
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Gabriel (not verified) says ....
>oops, I shouldn't have loekod. Brought back very strong memories for me. You did a BEAUTIFUL job of capturing the whole experience and of the sweet baby. (we only have a few Polaroids and some portrait type of him) I can't wait to be able to be with our sweet Steven Douglas. I know families are forever and that knowledge gets me through the feelings of sadness in not being able to raise our son on earth.
Asma (not verified) says ....
i never understood pelope that could walk up to another person in a time of crisis and say to them, i know just how your feeling no you don't..and to assume you do so is just wrong,it makes it about YOU while not trying to understand it's about how THEY are feeling at that particular time we all do not feel or recover or want the same thing..what may be right for one person is wrong for another,but to tell a person what is best for them in certain sittuations when only THEY know how they are feeling at that particular time i would not even try and understand how one would do that.perhaps if we all were exactly alike that would make sense..but we are not. one may look at many children born and abused and sometimes even killed into homes they were not wanted and ask yourself..was it a good life they were born into???..i think not.
Leonardo (not verified) says ....
Judy, I was a victim of rape when I was 18 years old. I had nimhgtares occasionally about it for probably a year or so. (My husband could testify to this.) I didn't become pregnant but if I had, it would not have been right to kill a kid just because it's MOTHER was abused. Talk about selfishness of women . It's NEVER right to kill an innocent human being because it's mother was abused! If I had gotten pregnant from my rape, and if I'd have had an abortion, I would now be looking back and forward for THE REST OF MY LIFE that I DID SOMETHING WRONG THAT I MURDERED MY UNBORN CHILD because I was selfish! There would ALWAYS be someone missing at my Thanksgiving table . I was not the guilty party in my rape THE RAPIST WAS. But if I'd aborted a child from this rape, I would then be guilty of murdering my own child Then I would be more guilty than the man who raped me . He only abused me and I got over the rape. I'd not get over' the fact I'd killed my own baby .