Depression, anxiety & mood

Am I at risk for PPD?

Our culture tends to look upon postpartum depression (PPD) as a “mental disorder” — as if suddenly women “go crazy” after giving birth. Is it any surprise that conventional treatment standards include medications for mood and sleep? At Women to Women, we see your emotions quite differently. How you feel is always shaped by the experiences and life lessons you’ve accumulated and carry with you as you journey through your life.

That means there is no one specific cause for postpartum depression, in some cases no one can identify any cause. Depression arising a week postpartum could have have different causes from depression developing three months after delivery or from depression that began during the pregnancy but continued through the postpartum period.

Moreover, it’s impossible to “predict” whether any mother will experience PPD. Some women will easily recover, while others have a lot of tissue-healing or emotional demands. Some women whose circumstances seem perfect will endure long bouts of sadness and anxiety after giving birth, while others whose lives appear troubled may just “bounce back.” Again, every mother’s experience is unique.

But research has shown us some patterns among women who might be more at risk for PPD. To start, first-time moms are at higher risk for PPD, regardless of age, and the risk is highest during the first three months of your baby’s life. On the other hand, a woman’s risk can increase with the number of children she has. The fact is, there are myriad factors that can raise the risk for PPD, and the weight each carries will also vary with a woman’s personal story.

Healthcare providers use a variety of checklists and tools to screen for and evaluate risk, but here are the contributing factors that most often carry weight:

• Depression during pregnancy
• Low self-esteem
• Childcare stress
• Prenatal anxiety
• Stressful life events
• Inadequate social support
• Poor marital or partner relationship
• History of previous depression, anxiety, PMS, sleep disturbance (these indicate a biological vulnerability to becoming more symptomatic under stressful conditions)
• Difficult infant temperament or illness in newborn period, including colic or feeding issues
• Low socioeconomic status
• Unplanned/unwanted pregnancy

Just one of these factors can be enough to turn daily life into an emotional rollercoaster. And if any one of these factors is compounded by another, or a few, the risk for longer-term depression can rise.

But recognizing that you are at risk for, or even realizing that you have PPD, is just the first step. For whatever reason, we place such high expectations on the role of motherhood that most new mothers are hugely upset by feeling anything less than elation with their new role. And it’s unfortunate that the stigma attached to women who admit it is so huge that it prevents them from getting the support they need and deserve. As a result, many families suffer needlessly!

If I could offer women one word of encouragement, it would be this: please don’t try to do it all, or get through it, alone. Seeking help really is the answer. Speak frankly with your partner, if you can, as well as your healthcare practitioner, and any other person from whom you can possibly draw support. In short, surround yourself with positive people and resources.

Remember, regardless of where you are in life when a new baby enters your life, you are not a statistic or stereotype. I like to tell women to write down a list of mantras, too, especially while “in the moment” you have reached the end of your rope: “This is just temporary,” and “This too shall pass,” have worked beautifully for me, personally. I also find that it helps to remind yourself during particularly trying times that your body is producing these hormones for a reason.

The silver lining is that even serious cases of PPD can be treated with protocols that can safely, effectively, and quickly make all the difference to you and your new baby. Every mother and child deserve that care and support. To learn how to put these pieces together to prevent or recover from postpartum depression, see our full article on PPD’s silver lining To learn how to recognize postpartum depression and suggestions for natural treatment of PPD, see What is PPD?

Related to this article:

References & further reading on risks for postpartum depression

 

Last Modified Date: 04/18/2011