Coping with Post-Natal Depression

Many people would believe that women who are pregnant are protected from depression. However, contrary to the common believe that pregnant are not prone from depression, pregnant women are just as susceptible to depression that those women who are not pregnant. In fact, the risk of depression becomes even higher right after a woman gives birth. According to experts, the postpartum stage has the potential of bringing about that "sadness and madness" state. Women who have history of depression are more prone to post-natal depression. The hormonal change, the stress of childbirth, sleep disturbances and the stress of caring for the baby would reduce the capacity of women to cope with everyday life and may lead to depression.

Post-natal depression vary is terms of severity. Childbirth is often very stressful for women so it is normal that a woman who has just given birth will suddenly feel very tired and spent. According to experts, about 80% of women who have just given birth may feel the common "maternal blues" which is characterized by crying, anxiety over the baby, confusion, irritability and fatigue. In some instances, women would just begin crying at the slightest provocation a few days after childbirth.

Maternal blues would usually go away in just a matter of three days at the average and is not really a cause for much alarm. Studies show that women who are tired are usually more emotional. Furthermore, the suddenly change in the hormones of women after childbirth could affect the emotional stability of women. To help a woman cope with childbirth and maternal blues, it would be a good idea to give her enough time to rest and recover her strength. Spouses should take some of the pressures off from their wives by assuming some of the responsibilities of taking care of the baby. Proper nutrition is also very important of women who have just given birth.

About 10% of those women who suffers from maternal blues would develop depression one week or a month after giving birth. Severe depression in women who have just given birth are often characterized by tearfulness, prevailing despondency, feeling of inadequacy and inability to cope, undue fatigue and fears about the health of the baby. If the depression is not recognized and treated accordingly, it may progress into severe depression. It is therefore very important that signs of depression in women who have just given birth be recognized and treated early to prevent further deterioration of the woman's health.