Postpartum Depression: Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Exit. Woman after childbirth: one step from burst of energy to tears Mood swings after childbirth

The bouquets have withered
the balloons deflated, the congratulations on the phone ended, the husband left for work. You
were left alone with the child. Every day is like the previous one: I didn't get enough sleep,
got up, fed, changed the diaper, put it to bed, went for a walk, came back,
fed, changed the diaper, put to bed and so on in a circle from day to day ...
It's good if you find yourself a walking friend. Because then during
you can discuss walks with a friend about how you did not get enough sleep, got up, fed,
changed diaper, put to bed…. Continue further? Yearning!

let's
Let's figure it out: what darkens your motherhood? Why are you depressed?
after childbirth and what to do to get rid of depression after childbirth?

Appearance.Yes Yes Yes. Have you heard that the figure
not the most important thing, do not drink water from the face and in general after childbirth everyone gets better,
your grandmother, size 56, was also skinny, and then she got a little bigger. Is it
is all this comforting? When I was discharged from the hospital after the first birth, then
asked me to bring me my prenatal jeans. Naive! Shrewd relatives
seized - so, just in case - tired of my "pregnant" pants, in
which I safely and climbed.

Of course there is,
lucky women who look slimmer after childbirth than before and from the hospital
discharged by beauties, but there are much less of them. Basically all girls
gaining weight - at best around 5
kilogram.

So, you gave birth and got better... You are very
frustrating, insecure, you don't feel attractive,
it seems to you that everyone only thinks how fat you are.

What to do? First of all, admit that you
recovered. Recognizing a problem is the first step to solving it. Step two -
calculate how many extra pounds you have and estimate how much you
you can reset them.

Step three - lactation (if you have enough
milk). Don't eat for slaughter on that
on the basis that you are a nursing mother. And don't be afraid that if you will
observe moderation in food, then you will lose milk. Milk will be fine
produced from your fat reserves. Bend the stick and sit on
a strict diet, of course, is also not necessary, but it is not necessary to arrange the last meal
later 19.00, for example, it is quite possible without any harm to the baby.

Personal care... You have always been well-groomed. Manicure,
pedicure is mandatory. Styling every day. Now you're at your best
have time to comb your hair and brush your teeth.

What to do? Think if you really miss
time? After all, if you did makeup all the time, then most likely you know how to do
its fast. 5-10 minutes can always be found, so maybe a shortage
time is just an excuse? Styling is more difficult. Maybe you can grow
long hair for simple and stylish hairstyles? Or consult with
hairdresser, what haircuts require minimal styling? The solution can always
to be found. Pedicure and manicure can be done every 2 months in the salon, and in
the rest of the time, maintain the salon effect at home. You don't have 30
minutes once a week? I will exclaim after Stanislavsky: "I don't believe!" How to find
time for self-care to relieve one of the causes of depression after childbirth,
read in the article "How to do everything with a small child."

Physical fatigue is also a cause
depression after childbirth.
If your baby is restless, wakes up often, cries, does not sleep at night, on your
an organism that has recently survived stress falls off an increased load. Lack of sleep,
constant fatigue, lack of strength - all this does not contribute to an increase
mood and care of the postpartum blues.

What to do? May many opponents forgive me
of this method - put the child with you in
bed... This is often enough to calm the baby down. After all, he's 9
months lived with you in the same rhythm, and he may not be very comfortable at first
alone. It is better for you to sleep with your baby together than to sit properly and
rocking him all night, experiencing a wild desire to sleep and irritation at such
joyless life. In addition, having slept at night, you can spend the morning
husband to work, instead of sleepily muttering to him: “I haven't
sleeping!". But your spouse, like your baby, also needs your attention now.

The first two nights after the hospital, I also methodically sat and rocked my daughter. And she still did not fall asleep.
At first I kindly asked her to calm down, worried that she might be bad
feel. As the fatigue accumulated, I began to feel irritated.
on the child, disappointment in the current situation, the thoughts visited: “And why should I
all this is necessary? ", anger at her husband:" Here he is good! Sleeps all night, and
then he goes to an interesting job, communicates with people ... ". As soon as I began to lay
daughter with me, we both began to get enough sleep. Until six months she slept with us all the time,
almost stopped by the year. I think you shouldn't worry that the child will spend the night with
you. Be sure to read Larisa Kim's article on this topic.

Feelings of guilt are another reason for depression after
childbirth.
As I said, the feeling of dissatisfaction with motherhood and the thought that
childbirth - a mistake - sometimes visit, especially in moments of strong
tiredness. This creates a sense of guilt. After all, irritation to a child is a sign
bad mother, and you are struggling to be a good mother to your baby.

What to do? Calm down. Nothing criminal about
your irritation to the child is not. Another question is how to give an outlet to this
irritation. If you start to shake your baby, nervously ask him: “Yes, when
will you finally calm down? " - this will not contribute to the creation
a favorable psychological climate for your child. Better express
baby all your feelings: “You know, I am very tired of this cry. Yes and you,
I think, too. Let's try with you…. (lie on your tummy, look out the window,
listen to music ....) and calm down ... "Thus you acknowledge the fact
the existence of irritation, give it a way out. And the kid according to your intonations
will understand that you are not charged with his anxiety, worry, but on the contrary, you give him
other energy, and most likely, he will soon calm down.

If someone from
relatives can help you at the moment of the baby's whims, do not hesitate,
accept help. And don't reproach yourself again for being a bad mother. Remember
Yesenin's words: "The big is seen at a distance ...". To feel the joy
motherhood, sometimes you need to get out of it.

Lack of self-interest... What could be
a more obvious cause of depression after childbirth, if not the lack of own
interests!

Perhaps you thought that after giving birth you
become a separate person and will be able to satisfy your needs for more
degree than during pregnancy. You were wrong. The little selfish takes everything
your time, energy, thoughts. Only his needs exist. And when you thought about
your interests, you've already forgotten.

What to do? Baby will never give you
space for yourself: look for it yourself. Use the baby's sleep - good,
babies sleep a lot - to meet their own needs. Love
to read? Read on! Do you like doing yoga? Forward! Want to watch a movie?
Right now! Do not think that you need to wash the floors, iron things
or arrange a general cleaning. Allow yourself not to be a wife and a mom.
Relax. Just don't waste this time on aimless surfing the Internet or
something like that. Do only what will breathe strength into you, increase
your self-esteem. The Sunny Hands website has a whole series of articles on how
increase self-esteem, .

Loss of professional competence... Serious
a problem facing all moms on parental leave. AND
if you intend to return to work someday, you should not
relax and be sure to take time for yourself to maintain
professional uniform.

What to do? If the profession allows, find
part-time job. Lawyers, teachers, psychologists, accountants, journalists,
designers, artists, doctors, programmers - this is an incomplete list of professions,
which allow you not to fall out of your
area. Money plays a lesser role here. And it is important to constantly stay "in
topic ". Use the client base, give advice to friends or
The Internet. Read special literature. Keep up to date with news in your
professional area. It is easy to arrange by keeping in touch with colleagues.
and visiting professional sites, forums. Don't be lazy! Make time for your
professional growth, even if it seems to you that in your life there is nothing but
diapers and diapers will no longer happen.

Decreased self-esteem... With this
almost all young mothers face. The routine of life, the presence of a clear regime,
predictability, low eventfulness of life - all this contributes to the feeling
own uninterest, banality, worthlessness. Bright, active women
this is especially hard on self-esteem.

What to do? Take advantage of the kids mode
of the day: you know exactly when you have yoga classes, when it is time for
professional growth and any other activities that you like for yourself
outlined. Remember that you do not sit with your child at home, but do the daily
work on the care and development of your baby, that is, in fact, work
early development teacher. And at the same time, you are doing your own personal
growth, you manage to pamper your husband with a delicious dinner, make great progress in
yoga, watching new movies and you never know what else you do!

So you see
that postpartum depression has different components. Listen to yourself,
try to determine what exactly oppresses you, and start working in this
direction. I'm sure you will definitely cope with postpartum depression.
and you will feel the unclouded joy of motherhood.

Yours, Alya Mironova.

It's wonderful that your long-awaited baby has already been born, you were so impatiently waiting for its appearance, but why, along with joy, do you feel postpartum depression?

The more gentle the care, the more understanding, the faster your baby will grow up. Before you have time to look back, the first troubled days and sleepless nights will be forgotten - the baby will delight you with a cheerful hum, funny faces and excellent appetite. Everything is so, another mother will say, everything seems to be fine. But why, then, is the heaviness of the soul and the state of depression.

What is postpartum depression

Perhaps the whole point is that your personal postpartum depression was combined with the so-called seasonal depression. There is little joy from this, but there are effective ways of resistance and even struggle. But first, let's figure out what is happening?

It's important to know that postpartum depression is a real medical term, not just a definition of a bad mood. It "overtakes" young mothers at any time of the year and is quite understandable: fear for the life and health of a very young child, fear of not coping with new responsibilities, physical fatigue after pregnancy and childbirth.

Very often, in the first days or even hours after giving birth, happy mothers are prone to mood swings. Impressive persons, whom experienced friends or wise books have not told about such a state, seriously think that they are losing their minds.

How so? The baby was born, our new life began, but I am sad, not happy. But the point is this: during pregnancy and childbirth, a large amount of hormones is produced in a woman's body, and now their level is sharply reduced, others are beginning to actively act - promoting lactation (production of breast milk) and recuperation after childbirth.

Postpartum depression is "needed" so that your body can finally disconnect from the strenuous work of many days. In addition, the motive of the woman's behavior and life is radically changing: the climax, for which the entire pregnancy and childbirth took place, has come, the goal has been achieved - the baby was born.

The female body (contrary to our wishes) is able to solve new tasks not for a moment, but only after a while. If pregnancy was not a natural life expectancy for you, if work and school, relationships with close friends, relatives, hobbies and entertainment were sacrificed, then you have a small chance of attacking postpartum depression.

Try everything that can improve your mood: shopping, reading, bubble bath, aimless sitting in front of the TV (we know what you don't need, but if you really want to ...), handicrafts, yoga, rearranging furniture, meeting friends, finally. And so on and so forth.

Advice on "getting rid of generic depression" By the way, in many respects our mood depends not on the leg with which we got up, but on the time of our morning awakening.

Young mothers, rejoice: getting up early, which is provided to you every day by the efforts of a newborn, reduces the risk of postpartum depression and apathy by 50-70%. It would be nice at the same time to sleep at least a little at night ...

Try to never get out of bed abruptly, jerking, quickly lifting your head from the pillow. And one more thing: make it a rule to massage your earlobes several times a day, starting in the morning - this simple exercise evokes a lot of positive emotions, adds vigor and relieves postpartum depression.

24.01.2020 18:12:00 These foods cause tiredness and apathy. Feeling tired isn't always the result of a lack of sleep. It could be nutritional! Some foods can induce apathy, drain energy, and even act as a sleeping pill.

24.01.2020 07:19:00 7 mistakes that prevent you from losing weight There are a thousand reasons to lose weight. Sometimes it's a health problem, sometimes a special case, or a simple desire to feel more comfortable in your own body. Whatever your reason for losing weight, try not to make the following mistakes.

Marina (name has been changed) first became a mother at the age of 28. The pregnancy was difficult, there was a regular threat of miscarriage. Doctors did not see physiological abnormalities, the main reason was the state of mind of the expectant mother. Marina had a hard time tolerating toxicosis, she was burdened by her appearance. Do not think that the child was unwanted. On the contrary, the fruit of love of a fairly happy marriage. The main reason for Marina's problems is her excessive impressionability and her ability to exaggerate minor problems.

Postpartum force majeure

After giving birth, the young mother unexpectedly announced for everyone that she was afraid to touch the newborn. For about a month, the grandmother took care of the baby, and the child was forced to be fed artificially.

To restore the necessary state of affairs when the mother is caring for the baby, Marina had to be persuaded to turn to a psychologist. Only to him was she able to reveal the reason for her attitude to the child: in him the woman saw the cause of her ailments during pregnancy. An experienced psychologist found the right strings in Marina's soul and heart so that she thawed and looked at her baby in a new way.

Now the child is almost 1.5 years old and in Marina's family they try not to remember the past difficult times.

4 factors for mood changes after childbirth

Mood swings after childbirth are common for many new mothers. Some people happily perceive themselves in a new status, others need a little more time for this. There are other factors that influence the dramatic and sometimes contradictory changes in the mood of a young mother.

Sadness syndrome

A woman's mood after childbirth can change under the pressure of hormones. The so-called sadness syndrome, or "baby blues" occurs. This is typical for almost every woman who has just given birth. Not to be confused with postpartum depression, although the condition is quite similar.

A characteristic sign: overwhelming sadness and sadness rolls over from the fact that life has changed dramatically with the advent of the baby and that every day looks like "groundhog day".

The syndrome begins to manifest itself approximately 2 weeks after childbirth, does not last long and usually does not require the help of specialists. The main thing is not to withdraw into yourself and do not hesitate to talk about your feelings to loved ones.

Lack of communication

This reason for mood swings after the birth of a baby is also known as deprivation. A young mother realizes that she can no longer leave home, for example, go shopping or meet with friends. Now her life is in full swing exclusively around the baby.

But a woman will not always be "attached" to a child. From about 3 months, the baby can already be left with loved ones: with her husband, grandmother. First for 1-2 hours to go shopping, then longer. But for this you need to give the "nannies" very clear and precise instructions on how and what to do with the baby.

It is noticed that even after a short absence, the woman returns home refreshed and missed her baby very much.

Feelings of confusion when communicating with a child

Many young mothers experience this feeling after the birth of a child. A characteristic feature: a woman does not immediately understand what her child needs.

This is normal, since mom is just getting to know her baby. We must try to be observant and attentive. This will help to know the temperament and character of the child, learn to understand his needs and satisfy them sufficiently. Over time, it is the mother, like no one else, who will perfectly understand what the baby wants.

Feeling more tired

Often, young mothers are faced with the fact that their immediate environment does not provide them with the help they expect. In order to avoid quarrels and misunderstandings, it is worth compiling in advance a “list of good deeds” for relatives and friends that they can help.

These should be specific and clear requests. For example, in order for a husband to go to the store to shop, prepare a detailed list of goods with the name of the brand, manufacturer, quantity of the desired and alternative goods (if the first is not available) in the store.

Bad mood is temporary

The best help for a young mother in the first months after childbirth is the help of relatives around the house. This is the only way a woman can calmly and fully enjoy communicating with her baby. If you can afford it, it is helpful to hire a housekeeper.

It is important for the household members of a young mother to understand how difficult it is for her. Therefore, it is important not only to help with the housework, but also to support morally. Only in this case, the crisis mood change will be relatively painless and a comfortable microclimate will be restored in the family.

Researchers believe that children whose mothers after childbirth
were in a long-term unstable emotional state,
more often have difficulties in relations with them, delays in the development of speech,
behavioral problems, as well as increased moodiness and tearfulness.

Expert:Irina Klimova, perinatal psychologist
Elena Nersesyan-Brytkova

The hardest thing is over - you have safely endured the birth and are now at home, and the baby is fast asleep in its bed. The husband is crazy about happiness and loves you even more. Relatives and friends overwhelm with congratulations and gifts. In a word, live and rejoice. And you want to cry. You feel anxiety from nowhere. It seems as if something is about to happen, and all good things will dissolve like a dream. Do not be alarmed, you are not the only one with whom this happens. All women experience such sensations in the first few days after childbirth.

However, in ~ 50% of women, this depression is prolonged and already ceases to resemble the usual sadness or experience. This condition is called postpartum depression. In women, it can manifest itself to a lesser or greater extent, short-term or drag on for many months. Postpartum depression occurs in 50% of women, in 13% it is severe.

Postpartum depression - a painful condition of a woman after childbirth, characterized by depressed mood, tearfulness, unwillingness to see her child, reversible mental disorders. In most cases, PD is not very pronounced, but in severe cases, the mother may even have a desire to kill herself or the child. Such women require treatment in special institutions.

Video # 1: About Postpartum Depression

Signs and causes of depression

All of the above is exhausting a woman and makes her irritable. Internal emptiness and indifference to everything that previously gave pleasure and joy appears. A woman becomes indifferent and indifferent to her husband, it may seem to her that love for him has passed. Moreover, all men in the world become disgusting to her.

Apathy reaches such a degree that it manifests itself as indifference to the child, unwillingness to care for him, even to the point of hostility.

The reasons:

• drastic hormonal changes that occur during and during childbirth;
• psychological unpreparedness for motherhood or unwillingness for it;
• physical exhaustion of the body, fatigue, overstrain, difficult childbirth, material or family trouble;
• hereditary, age-related (after 40 years) or personal predisposition to depressive conditions.

Somatic symptoms can be added to everything else.

Somatic symptoms:

• common headaches or migraines;
• increased heart rate, dizziness;
• indigestion (loss of appetite, constipation);
• neuralgia;
• itchy skin;
• insomnia, nightmares, suicidal thoughts, a desire to harm yourself or a newborn;
• menstrual irregularities or disappearance of menstruation, frigidity.

Video number 2

Psychologist Anna Galepova tells about postpartum depression, anxiety, fears for the child:

Fighting depression

With a mild degree of postpartum depression, you can get rid of it yourself. The most important thing is a woman's understanding that this condition is temporary and in order to get rid of this condition, a certain self-alignment is required.

1. Remind yourself often that a miracle has happened in your life, many of which can only dream of. Remember what you had to go through for this miracle to happen. Thank God (fate) for the fact that everything went well, everyone is alive and well. Feel the peculiarity of your situation, then the household routine will repent to you with a trifle of life.
2. Think about how the baby needs your love now, when he is helpless in a new world for him. More often take the baby in your arms, stroke him, talk gently. Tactile contact, breastfeeding contribute to the production of "hormones of happiness" that will help you fully experience the joy of motherhood, tenderness and love for your baby.
3. No matter how the circumstances develop, try to understand that you are not alone now. A person has appeared in the world whose well-being depends on you.
4. If possible, be sure to allow yourself to be alone with yourself.Each person must have a personal life and personal time, otherwise he loses his individuality and becomes depressed. Take a day off when your husband is at home. At first, many women are afraid to leave babies with their fathers - overcome this in yourself. An increased sense of responsibility will only drive you into greater depression. Grab your phone and go shopping, the cinema, or the hairdresser. If things get tough, they will call you. Even breastfeeding should not interfere with a fulfilling life, a breast pump is your good assistant in this matter ().
5. Don't be ashamed of being overweight - it's a temporary natural phenomenon.Extra pounds will leave you during the year, especially if you are breastfeeding, because the fat accumulated during pregnancy goes into milk ().
6. Get enough sleep. Do not take on all the worries, leave some of them for your husband, grandmother, grandfather or nanny.You must have an assistant. If you feel tired, choose rest over cleaning and cooking.
7. Do not listen to those who advise you to go on a weight loss diet or eliminate a bunch of foods from your diet for fear of allergies in your child. If you are a nursing mother, eat whatever you want and how much you want, excluding obvious allergens. Right now, you need to eat well and gain strength after stress ().
8. The closest person to you is your husband.Do not move away from him in silent mystery. Men do not understand well the emotional states of women. Talk to him and tell him specifically what is happening to you, what you feel, what you think, ask for help. For your trust, he will only be grateful to you.
9. Don't bury yourself alone. Chat with other mothers, talk heart to heart.For sure, you will meet women with the same problems. Perhaps some of them managed to solve them or you will become like-minded people in this struggle. In any case, this will be a support for you.
10. Many relaxing and meditative techniques (aromatherapy, bath, massage) teach how to cope with depression on your own. At first, newborns sleep a lot, so you will have time for relaxation, reading, and simply - doing nothing.

When you need specialist help

What if all this does not relieve depression, and you no longer understand how to get out of this state? It may be worth contacting a specialist. It is better if it is a perinatal psychologist or a psychotherapist. First, it will be necessary to remove anxiety, fears. The doctor will help you relax, normalize your mood, and return to the natural perception of life. Different techniques can be applied: NLP, psychoanalysis, hypnosis or others, depending on the skills of the specialist and the factors that caused the postpartum depression.

Further, the psychotherapist may offer you to go through sessions of family, cognitive psychotherapy, during which internal family problems, children's complexes, resentments and everything that can return you to a depressive state again after a while will be worked out.

Treatment is consolidated by analyzing negative scenarios and changing the attitudes and views of a woman on problems.

In severe cases of depression, the woman is prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs. But due to their high toxicity, they are taken in exceptional cases. If it is impossible to refuse medications, you have to sacrifice breastfeeding.

Prevention

Depression prevention is about informing the pregnant woman about possible changes in her emotional state after childbirth.

In most cases, a woman, understanding the cause of her depressed mood, is able to control her emotional background herself and get out of this state after some time. Support of loved ones and spouse during pregnancy is important. Healthy, warm relations in the family are a guarantee that a woman's postpartum period will go well. Especially women should be closely monitored, whose status is already burdened by depressive episodes or some kind of trouble.

When passes

Women ask themselves the question: how long does postpartum depression last, because it is easier to cope with any condition knowing its timing.

A mild form of depression can be observed for only a couple of months, but it can drag on for six months. Severe depression without treatment can last for years.

But when the depression passes, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. After all, the happiness of the family directly depends on whether the woman is happy. Having overcome this state, many women then with a smile remember all their whims, tears and obsessive thoughts, and forget what they went through. No one is immune from illness, the support of loved ones and a psychotherapist will speed up recovery.

Video clips

Lecture

Postpartum depression: myth or reality?

Postpartum depression - is it really a difficult state of body and mind, or is it just an invention of hysterical mothers who cannot control themselves? What are the causes of postpartum depression and how to avoid it?