Pregnancy puts women in an increased risk of developing a variety of psychiatric problems. During the course of a full term pregnancy, the hormones secreted by the placenta rise dramatically. Once the baby and placenta are delivered, these hormones plummet. Some women are more vulnerable to these hormonal changes.
Baby blues is a very common after birth. About 70% of women have some symptoms. Crying, sleeplessness, and confusion are just a few. New moms find it hard to understand why they are not excited about their new beautiful baby. The onset occurs anywhere from 3 days to 1 month after delivery, but usually postpartum blues is seen the first few days after delivery. It is rare for symptoms to last longer than a month. The duration is very short, less then 10 days. Baby blues are so common that the medical profession does not consider the symptoms a disorder. They are just phenomena that comes with being pregnant and having a baby. A physician will consider baby blues in a differential diagnosis if mood problems are present.
Another pregnancy-related disorder is initial maternal indifference. Not everyone would call this a mood problem. But that should be in the differential diagnosis when a physician sees somebody that is having a difficult postpartum. Initial maternal difference is usually seen right after delivery in the hospital. The mother reports having no particular feelings one way or another for the baby. The typical onset is 1 day of delivery and the typical duration is 3 days. As many as 40% of women experience initial maternal indifference with their first child. Appropriate management includes child care education and support for the mother. This is a self-limited problem.
The most serious pregnancy- related disorder is postpartum psychosis. This is a rare disorder. Only 1 out of 500 experience this. Hallucination, delusion, and agitation are the symptoms. Women cannot take care of themselves or their baby. It gets so bad that they place their life and their infant's life in danger. Postpartum psychosis develops in the first month, most often between the 1st and 2nd week. It is dangerous and does not go away by itself. There is a significant risk of suicide and infanticide.
The last disorder is called non-psychotic major postpartum depressive disorder or NMPDD. This effects 10% to 15% of women. In addition to depression is suicidal ideation. Anyone who has a prior history of depression is at a higher risk in developing NMPDD. Frequently, but not always, this requires treatment with antidepressants or inhibitors. Hospitalization is sometimes needed for effective treatment.
Everyone feels depressed at some time, especially women. The reason for this involves the psychosocial as well as biological aspects, but a very big component of depression is hormonal. The dramatic changes in hormones like estrogen and progesterone that occur during menstrual cycles, menopause, and during pregnancy are believed to be key factors. I have compiled together information on all three and I hope that it will help you to understand what you or a loved one is going through. I have listed below the symptoms, reasons, as well as treatment. Please remember that I am NOT a Psychologist or an expert. I have read thoroughly many articles on this subject and feel I am informed enough to write this article so that you may better understand depression. If you would like more information, I have listed the books and articles I received my information from. If you feel that you may have a severe case of depression, please contact your health care provider.
It is important to understand that there is a difference in the feeling of depression to the actual illness of depression. It is normal for women to have various feeling and attitude changes regularly that are caused by stress, illness, and hormonal changes. If you harbor suicidal thoughts, please contact a specialist or a loved one to help you as soon as possible.
If there is something you would like to read about that I haven't included in this page, please let me know by email. Please put "depression" in the subject line.
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Premenstrual
Another condition that may occur in some women is premenstrual mood changes. It is estimated that about 75% of women during childbearing age have some mood changes before menstruation. As many as 50% have a condition called PMS, which is characterized by symptoms that come together during the week before menstruation. There are many over the counter medicines for this today. However, in about 3% to 5% of women develop premenstrual dysphonic disorder (PDD). The symptoms include depression, anxiety, irritability, loss of interest and pleasure, difficulty concentrating, lethargy, appetite changes, hypersomnia or insomnia, feeling out of control and other physical problems, such as breast pain and headaches. These symptoms must occur every month for it to be contributed to PDD. The symptoms start the week before menstruation and continue until the week after. Treatment varies upon each person. Some only need to exercise regularly and eat more frequently. Others need a prescription drug.
Menopause is associated with an increase in a variety of somatic and behavioral symptoms including hot flashes, sleep difficulties, and depression in women typically between the ages of 40-50. A physician must evaluate the pattern, severity, and duration of the physical and emotional complaints. Hormone replacements are often prescribed for menopause. In some cases where women do not respond to hormone replacements, antidepressants are also prescribed.
