"Baby Blues" -- or Postpartum Depression?

Summary

In this video, Janelle shares her personal struggle with postpartum depression, a mood disorder affecting many new mothers. Despite initial secrecy, she reveals her experience with persistent sadness, anxiety, and isolation. Expert Dr. Peter Schmidt explains that about 7-14% of new mothers face this condition, with half a million at risk annually. Dr. Gioia Guerrieri distinguishes postpartum depression from the common 'baby blues,' highlighting its intrusive and daily symptoms. The video also addresses the rare but severe postpartum psychosis, requiring urgent medical attention. Janelle's story concludes with her seeking treatment at NIH, emphasizing the importance of seeking help and breaking the stigma around postpartum mental health.

Takeaways

• 🤰 Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women before or after childbirth.
• 🌐 It affects women regardless of race, age, social, economic, or educational background.
• 🔢 Approximately 7-14% of live births are at risk, equating to about half a million women per year in the U.S.
• 😔 Symptoms include persistent sadness, anxiety, and a tendency to isolate oneself.
• 🚨 The risk of suicide is higher in postpartum depression compared to the general population.
• 👶 'Baby blues' affect 80% of women, but these are temporary and different from postpartum depression.
• 🤯 Postpartum psychosis is a rare but severe condition requiring immediate medical attention.
• 👩‍⚕️ Treatment options include psychotherapy and medication, and it's crucial to seek professional help.
• 💪 It's important for women to be proactive in seeking help and not rely on self-healing alone.
• 🗣️ Open conversation about postpartum depression helps normalize the condition and encourages others to seek help.

Q & A

What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women shortly before or soon after childbirth, impacting women regardless of their race, age, social, economic, or educational background.

How common is postpartum depression?

Approximately 7 to 14 percent of live births are at risk for developing postpartum depression, which translates to about half a million women per year in the United States.

What are the symptoms of postpartum depression?

Symptoms include persistent mood changes, anxiety, sadness, a tendency to isolate, and an increased risk for suicidal thoughts. It can also involve ruminations, obsessions, checking on the baby excessively, inability to sleep, feeling disconnected, and intrusive daily symptoms within a month of delivery.

What is the difference between postpartum depression and the baby blues?

Eighty percent of women experience the baby blues, which are transient feelings of anxiety and worry about motherhood that usually resolve within the first few weeks postpartum. Postpartum depression, however, involves more severe and lasting symptoms.

What is postpartum psychosis?

Postpartum psychosis is a severe condition occurring in one in one thousand births, characterized by a distortion of reality so severe that it impairs the mother's ability to tell what's real and what's not, requiring immediate treatment.

How does postpartum psychosis differ from postpartum depression?

While postpartum depression involves sadness and anxiety without a loss of touch with reality, postpartum psychosis involves a severe distortion of reality, potentially leading to dangerous behaviors and requiring immediate medical attention.

What advice does Janelle have for other mothers experiencing postpartum depression?

Janelle advises other mothers to recognize that postpartum depression is treatable, to seek help actively, and not to rely on the idea that they can heal themselves over time without intervention.

What treatment options are available for postpartum depression?

Treatment options include psychotherapy, medication, individual therapy, or group therapy. It's important to seek help from a healthcare professional who can recommend appropriate treatment approaches.

Why is it important for women with postpartum depression to seek help?

Seeking help is crucial because untreated postpartum depression can worsen over time and become more difficult to manage. Early intervention can prevent this from happening.

How can open conversation about postpartum depression help?

Open conversation can normalize the experience, making other women feel comfortable knowing they are not alone and that recovery is possible, thus encouraging them to seek help.

What program did Janelle find helpful for her postpartum depression?

Janelle found the NIH Treatment Study helpful, which she learned about through internet research.