There are three levels of postpartum difficulties: baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. Up to eighty percent of women experience baby blues, which include a feeling of being overwhelmed, mood swings, and crying spells. This period usually last between two to three weeks (Osmond, Wilkie, and Moore 237). Ten through fifteen percent of these women advance into postpartum depression. They may feel hopeless, inadequate, irritability, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of harming the baby, anxiety, panic attacks, or OCD. Women who have had a depressive episode before conceiving make up thirty percent of women who have PPD. Approximately one out of one thousand mothers experience postpartum psychosis. This may include confusion, fatigue, agitation, delusions, hearing voices, rapid speech, and a loss of reality. This is most likely to develop in women that have a history of bipolar or other psychosis. It is possible for women to experience some form of PPD after an abortion or miscarriage (Venis and McCloskey 9).
Doctors and psychologist are not quite positive what exactly causes the depression stage after birth. Many changes are happening to the body and mind of a women after birth including: physical, hormonal, daily routine, and social interactions. It is thought that there is not only one factor that causes PPD, but multiple factors working together to overwhelm the new …show more content…
It is good for a new mother to have a positive support system to help her get through the changes that are to come. How often the mother’s social interaction occur with people that have significant of meaning in her life is important. The quality of the relation between parents, family, and friends can contribute to how the mother feels about this transition of caring for a child. A young or old first time mother, single parent, a mother with a child with special needs; these mothers may need an extremely positive support system. The support system helps the mother deal with the problems of dealing with a newborn including exhaustion, financial problems, and trouble breastfeeding. It is extremely important that the support system surrounding the new mother is positive and helpful, having unrealistic expectations set for the mother is more harmful than helpful (Venis and McCloskey 12-13).
Postpartum depression can occur weeks or even months after giving birth (Osmond, Wilkie, and Moore 2). The beginning may be subtle and gradually build over the period of months. The mother may seem numb or uncaring (Murray and Cooper 66). Postpartum depression floods the mother with self-doubt, anxiety, and shame. These feelings often leads to the mother entering isolation. Some women may feel as if she can no take care of herself let alone a newborn