How a new mother feels

Baby Blues
Twenty-four to thirty-six hours after delivery, the sudden and dramatic drop in a new mother's levels of progesterone, estrogen, and other neural, thyroid, and adrenal hormones combines with a similar nosedive in endorphins. You may experience what's called baby blues or postpartum depression. Baby blues is the term used to describe the temporary reaction new mothers have to these hormonal changes and to the lack of sleep during their babys first month. Episodes of baby blues are generally intense, but short. They might spring from a disappointing experience a woman suffered during delivery, such as a sense of losing control. They might include feelings of self-doubt and mild depression, but between 50 and 70 per cent of the women who experience baby blues find that they recover within seven to ten days.

Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD) differs from the baby blues in severity and symptoms. It generally settles in between one and nine months after delivery. Sometimes the overlap of feelings leads to a misdiagnosis as the baby blues, but PPD is a more complex reaction and results in a pervasive melancholy and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. You find that your interests plummet and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness prevail.

Research indicates that PPD occurs in 10 to 28 per cent of all women who give birth, regardless of other socio-economic or cultural factors. Women most at risk are: those who have a history of emotional problems, including an earlier case of PPD; those with a high-needs baby; those who have experienced a major stress in their recent past; those who have a low family income or a lack of support, particularly from their partner.

The symptoms of PPD that a new mother's partner and family should watch for include: high anxiety; hyperactivity or manic activity; sadness that lasts for two weeks or more; feelings of detachment; confusion or difficulty in making decisions on a day-to-day basis; feelings of inadequacy; sleeplessness; loss of appetite; loss of sexual desire; uncontrollable crying; and hallucinations or paranoia. In its severest form, postpartum depression leads women to experience suicidal feelings, delusions, and a marked detachment from reality. This kind of psychosis affects two per cent of the women who develop PPD, and it requires hospitalization.

In less extreme cases, antidepressants have been shown to rebalance a brain chemistry that's gone out of whack with depression. They wolft change the stresses in a new mother's life, but they can help her to cope with them. For some, there's a time lapse of several weeks before feeling the full benefit of the medication, but antidepressants are not habit-forming. Although there is much controversy around the possible impact on the infant who is breast-feeding, there are varying treatments you can pursue. les important to discuss your feelings with your doctor who can work out the best treatment for you in your particular situation and with your unique needs.

Most important to the recovery process of the woman suffering PPD is to acknowledge that she might be at risk and to ask for help from her doctor or a PPD support centre. There are more than a dozen support centres across Canada which offer a variety of programs. Postpartum Adjustment Support Services-Canada (PASS-CAN) will send an information package ($5) to any mother who requests it, (905) 844-9009, and it has links to PPD support groups in communities across the country. If there is no support group in your area, call Public Health or the local Canadian Mental Health Association office about possibly setting up such a group.