Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression is a type of depression associated with the birth of a child. Some new mothers experience this within four weeks of giving birth. This type of depression should not be confused with “baby blues.” Among other things, new mothers have to cope with sleepless nights and rattled emotions. This type of stress brings on fatigue and anxiety. Fortunately, all of this is normal and usually goes away after a few days or weeks. Postpartum depression takes this stress to another level. At this level, new mothers show the previously mentioned signs as well as many, if not all, of the following: feelings of hopelessness and extreme despair, panic attacks, and crying spells. Some of them even have thoughts of suicide. Clinicians and theorists concluded that postpartum depression may be tied to specific factors. These factors include the following:
Hormonal changes—after giving birth, the new mother’s progesterone and estrogen levels decrease significantly. This drop, which dramatically affects some women, causes serious problems in their day-to-day living.
Genetics—a woman’s heredity may be the cause. If your mother, grandmother, and other women on down the line experienced postpartum depression, you may be predisposed to it.
Social, cultural, and psychological influences—a new baby impacts all of these factors. For example, the mother’s normal routines are disrupted and her career and/or relationships with others may suffer. Having a sick or difficult child makes matters even worse (PsychWatch: Sadness at the Happiest of Times, 2014, p. 195). Postpartum depression is a psychological abnormality. Because of this, it can be assessed in terms of “the four Ds.”
Deviance—postpartum depression is not the norm. In other words, society sees it as improper conduct.
Distress—postpartum depression causes new mothers to feel