What Is Postnatal Depression?

Postnatal depression (also known as postpartum depression) and is some times thought of as the "baby blues", effect 10% - 20% of women after the birth of a child. Postnatal depression is more likely to develop after the birth of their first child, however may occur after the birth of any child.

There are thought to be a number of different reasons, or causes, for postnatal depression:

The changes, huge changes, in women's hormones.

The increased level of hormones that were running through the body for the previous nine months are, within twenty-four hours of childbirth, suddenly and sometimes dramatically return to normal.

Some researchers feel that this is similar to the effects on a women suffering from PMS and women who experience intense bouts of PMS are more likely to develop a case.

Also doctors are aware of the fact that women are more predisposed to suffer from depression than men. The hormonal changes that a woman lives through on a monthly basis play a big part in some of these mood swings.

Puberty, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause create huge hormonal changes that play havoc with a woman's emotions. Mood swings are not an uncommon symptom of any of them and so on a monthly basis a woman may go through a series of emotional ups and downs.

Stress and Changes in Lifestyle

The birth of a child brings with it numerous changes in a woman's life. All the stress of feeding and burping, changing diapers, swaddling and clothing their baby, the lack of sleep and waking up a few times at night to feed their baby.

Many women also feel stressed out about not having the time for laundry, cooking or housework that they, for some reason, still believe they should be doing. And then of course all the visitors that want to come visit and see the baby, as if the new mom doesn't already have enough to do.

Postnatal depression also can come from the career women who decide to stay at home and now feel they are not respected as the woman they once were. Many women also want their body back that they used to have and, with all of their new responsibilities they have, find it hard to get back.

Postpartum Psychosis

The worst form of postnatal depression is postpartum psychosis (also referred to as postnatal psychosis or PNP). This occurs within the first couple of weeks of childbirth and is a complete breakdown or meltdown that, if diagnosed and treated immediately, can be recovered from within weeks. However, if PNP is not quickly, within days, it can last for months.

And now that you know more about the causes of postnatal depression, you'll be better suited for dealing with it should it occur in your life. Few people remember to consider their own health in the hectic period of time in which their main focus is upon the health of their infant, so be sure to be informed about the possible mental side effects that having a child can produce.