Rifat Zafreen :
‘Oh! Why do I think of all these negatives? Why can’t I breathe happiness at the fullest when I have my new born in my lap? Why? Why do I fell so lonely? So devastated? So worried and exhausted and sad? Why do I lose my mind so easily? Why?’
– Joya thinks and gets overburdened and helpless.
Seeing her condition Joya’s husband goes to a psychiatrist and shares that few days ago she gave birth to a baby and so it was supposed to be the best time in their life. But for the last few days Joya gets so irritated and worried that sometimes she even cries out for no reason. She seems to have negative thoughts on everything that she does not sleep properly, eat properly, talk properly not even to him. Joya’s husband is completely tensed out and helpless thinking of his wife.
Hearing all the complaints, the psychiatrist says, birth of a baby can bring a flood of different types of emotions both for the father and mother along with each and every member of the family. This is not unusual for the new mother to feel sad after this sudden change because motherhood can bring excitement and joy but some fear and anxiety as well. It can result in something the husband and wife might not have expected and that is ‘depression’. This is known as ‘Post Partum Depression’. This phase is also known as ‘Maternity Blues’.
Post partum depression can begin any time during the first two months after a woman gives birth, in some cases, symptoms peak after slowly building for three or four months.
There is no such definite cause for this depression but physical and emotional issues sometimes play a role. Physical causes are that there is a dramatic drop in hormones, which leads to a mother feeling tired, sluggish and depressed. Physical exhaustion from a mother being sleep deprived can have emotional effects like feeling over whelmed in handling her newborn and she may feel that she has lost control over her life which can also lead to depression.
The symptoms of post partum depression mainly include – depressed mood and severe mood swings, avoiding family and friends, lack of confidence on being a good mother, changes of sleep and eating patterns, thought of harming the baby, thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts, reduced desire for sex, difficulty in concentrating etc.
As postpartum depression makes it harder to function well, so having early treatment is very important for the father, mother, newborn as well as the rest of the family members. In addition to seeking doctor’s help, there are also some other ways to take care of the depressed mother like, most importantly talking to the mother and it is to be done by her husband.
She is to be asked like how she is feeling, encouraged not to feel guilty about her feeling and assured that this is very normal and once she recovers this will gradually diminish. She is to be taken care of that she meets all her basic needs and she is to be asked and helped of sleeping and eating properly. Along with the baby the depressed mother also needs equal attention and importance in the family.
She is to be offered help and encouraged to ask for help if she needs any. The husband also can help bathe the baby and put it to sleep that the mother can relax. The husband is to ask her not to hesitate to share her feeling with him, with her friends and family. It is to be remembered that the support of the husband is always vital and most important for the wife’s recovery. The husband has to give her some time to get some rest and also quality time to her. Even after taking all the measures if it is felt that she is not getting better, she is to be taken to a doctor immediately in that case.
A more severe form of postpartum mental illness is ‘post partum psychoses.’ This can be sudden in onset and seen within two weeks after childbirth, of which the symptoms are like – hallucinations, which is usually hearing or seeing things that aren’t there. Symptoms like having delusions, which is having thoughts or beliefs, which are unlikely to be true, feeling very irritated, paranoia and suspicions, external excitement or low mood, severe confusion etc.
Postpartum depression and psychosis is a medical condition. It has nothing to do with the new mother’s character or how good mother she is, or how much she loves her baby. And that is why she never let feel guilty about her feelings. Like any other medical condition proper intervention, treatment and care can get her to feel better.
It is the help and awareness of the family members and especially of the husband that can help the victimized helpless mother to get back to normal life, to let her enjoy the essence of motherhood the fullest with a glowing heavenly smile and satisfaction upon her face and soul and thus can make herself and her family a happy one.
‘Oh! Why do I think of all these negatives? Why can’t I breathe happiness at the fullest when I have my new born in my lap? Why? Why do I fell so lonely? So devastated? So worried and exhausted and sad? Why do I lose my mind so easily? Why?’
– Joya thinks and gets overburdened and helpless.
Seeing her condition Joya’s husband goes to a psychiatrist and shares that few days ago she gave birth to a baby and so it was supposed to be the best time in their life. But for the last few days Joya gets so irritated and worried that sometimes she even cries out for no reason. She seems to have negative thoughts on everything that she does not sleep properly, eat properly, talk properly not even to him. Joya’s husband is completely tensed out and helpless thinking of his wife.
Hearing all the complaints, the psychiatrist says, birth of a baby can bring a flood of different types of emotions both for the father and mother along with each and every member of the family. This is not unusual for the new mother to feel sad after this sudden change because motherhood can bring excitement and joy but some fear and anxiety as well. It can result in something the husband and wife might not have expected and that is ‘depression’. This is known as ‘Post Partum Depression’. This phase is also known as ‘Maternity Blues’.
Post partum depression can begin any time during the first two months after a woman gives birth, in some cases, symptoms peak after slowly building for three or four months.
There is no such definite cause for this depression but physical and emotional issues sometimes play a role. Physical causes are that there is a dramatic drop in hormones, which leads to a mother feeling tired, sluggish and depressed. Physical exhaustion from a mother being sleep deprived can have emotional effects like feeling over whelmed in handling her newborn and she may feel that she has lost control over her life which can also lead to depression.
The symptoms of post partum depression mainly include – depressed mood and severe mood swings, avoiding family and friends, lack of confidence on being a good mother, changes of sleep and eating patterns, thought of harming the baby, thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts, reduced desire for sex, difficulty in concentrating etc.
As postpartum depression makes it harder to function well, so having early treatment is very important for the father, mother, newborn as well as the rest of the family members. In addition to seeking doctor’s help, there are also some other ways to take care of the depressed mother like, most importantly talking to the mother and it is to be done by her husband.
She is to be asked like how she is feeling, encouraged not to feel guilty about her feeling and assured that this is very normal and once she recovers this will gradually diminish. She is to be taken care of that she meets all her basic needs and she is to be asked and helped of sleeping and eating properly. Along with the baby the depressed mother also needs equal attention and importance in the family.
She is to be offered help and encouraged to ask for help if she needs any. The husband also can help bathe the baby and put it to sleep that the mother can relax. The husband is to ask her not to hesitate to share her feeling with him, with her friends and family. It is to be remembered that the support of the husband is always vital and most important for the wife’s recovery. The husband has to give her some time to get some rest and also quality time to her. Even after taking all the measures if it is felt that she is not getting better, she is to be taken to a doctor immediately in that case.
A more severe form of postpartum mental illness is ‘post partum psychoses.’ This can be sudden in onset and seen within two weeks after childbirth, of which the symptoms are like – hallucinations, which is usually hearing or seeing things that aren’t there. Symptoms like having delusions, which is having thoughts or beliefs, which are unlikely to be true, feeling very irritated, paranoia and suspicions, external excitement or low mood, severe confusion etc.
Postpartum depression and psychosis is a medical condition. It has nothing to do with the new mother’s character or how good mother she is, or how much she loves her baby. And that is why she never let feel guilty about her feelings. Like any other medical condition proper intervention, treatment and care can get her to feel better.
It is the help and awareness of the family members and especially of the husband that can help the victimized helpless mother to get back to normal life, to let her enjoy the essence of motherhood the fullest with a glowing heavenly smile and satisfaction upon her face and soul and thus can make herself and her family a happy one.
