Did things change after you became pregnant?
Are things different than you expected as a new mother?
For many mothers, the experience of pregnancy and childbirth is often followed by sadness, fear, anxiety, and difficulty making decisions. Many women have difficulty finding the energy to care for themselves, their infants, and their families. Some even have feelings about harming themselves and their children. These may be symptoms of depression. If this sounds like you or someone you know, there are two important things you should know.
You are not alone. Help is near.
This article will begin to explain the possible causes for your feelings—and more importantly— how to find the help you need.
Hormones as Triggers
There are many reasons why you may get depressed. As a woman, your body undergoes many hormonal changes during and after pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant, her body produces the female hormones estrogen and progesterone in much greater amounts. But in the first 24 hours after childbirth, these hormone levels drop rapidly back down to their non‐pregnant levels. These hormone changes may lead to depression in a similar way that menstrual hormone changes can trigger similar symptoms during and after your period.
In some women, another possible cause of these symptoms following pregnancy is a drop in thyroid hormones, which are produced by the thyroid gland (located in the neck). These hormones help regulate the way your body uses energy. Low thyroid levels can cause depressed or irritated moods, problems with sleep and concentration, and weight gain.
Combine these changes in your body with the dramatic changes in your life—the normal feelings of being overwhelmed with new responsibilities, pressures to be a “great” mom, a sense of loss regarding the life you had before—and you can be at risk for the baby blues, perinatal/postpartum depression, or rarely postpartum psychosis.
Risk Factors
Some women are more at risk for depression during and after pregnancy:
- A mother’s personal history of depression or another mental illness is the largest overall risk factor
- A family history of depression or another mental illness
- A lack of support from family and friends
- Depression or mental illness in the woman’s partner
- Anxiety or negative feelings about the pregnancy
- Problems with a previous pregnancy or birth
- Marriage or money problems
- Stressful life events
- Pregnancy at a young age
- Substance use disorders
- Family violence
- Chronic illness
The risk is also higher with multiple births, preterm birth, and congenital or acquired physical or neurodevelopmental deficits in the infant. Stressful transitions, such as returning to work, may also be a risk factor.
Minority, immigrant, and refugee populations are especially at risk, because they face the added stress of adjusting to and learning to function in a new environment without as much local family support and with added financial concerns or cultural barriers.
While these risk factors help identify those more likely to develop perinatal depression, any woman can be affected during pregnancy or in the year following childbirth.
Last Updated 12/17/2018
Source American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2018)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
