Advice from Mothers About Postpartum Illnesses

HI Everyone! It is the end of National Maternal Depression Awareness Month. On a previous blog, I shared a little of Carey’s story with her struggles with postpartum psychosis. If you would like to read that blog first, click here. Today I would like to continue the discussion of maternal depression awareness.

One recent study found that 1 in 5 women may suffer from maternal mental health disorders and 1 in 7 women may experience Postpartum Depression (PPD) in the year after giving birth. With approximately 4 million live births occurring each year in the United States, this equates to almost 600,000 postpartum depression diagnoses. Sadly, it is believed that postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety are much more common than these statistics reveal. Some medical experts believe that the rate of postpartum depression could be at least twice as much than what is actually reported and diagnosed. It is believed that while there are many diagnosed cases of postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, only a limited number of women actually receive treatment, often because many women do not know they have postpartum depression/anxiety since they are simply adjusting to being a new mom.

Here is a list of some of the possible symptoms for Postpartum Depression (Symptoms include emotional, physical, and behavioral changes):

Emotional symptoms may include:

Excessive and uncontrollable crying.
Persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
Feeling numb or empty. Lacking joy.
Extremes in mood swings.
Irritability and restlessness.
Feeling anger and rage.
Becoming easily frustrated.
Anxiety and fear.
Feeling guilt and shame.

Mental symptoms of postpartum depression may include:

Inability to concentrate.
Trouble remembering details.
Difficulty making decisions.
Doubting her ability to care for her baby.
Thinking things are too overwhelming to handle.
Thinking she has failed or is inadequate.

Please keep in mind that this is not the full list of possible symptoms and that mothers do not need to experience all of the symptoms to have postpartum depression. Every woman experiences it differently. For some, the biggest symptoms may be a lack of joy with things that were once pleasurable or lack of bonding with the baby, trouble concentrating or extreme fatigue, whereas others may cry frequently, become rageful, or even become consumed with obsessive anxiety and fear for their baby. Also it is important to note that postpartum anxiety varies from postpartum depression since women experience anxiety which is not a common trait in postpartum depression. Also there are other maternal mental illnesses such as postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder , postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder, and postpartum psychosis.

For my book about holistic childbirth around the world, I interviewed many mothers who experienced maternal mental illnesses and shared their experiences candidly. Below are three American women who bestowed their heartfelt advice to help other mothers.

Jill Johns

Advice from Jill

“Be honest with your emotions. Don’t judge your emotions. If you’re happy, feel happy. If you’re sad, feel sad. Ask for help if you need help.”

Advice from Annamarie

“You taking care of yourself might be more important than you taking care of the baby. Because other people can take care of the baby, but only you can really take care of yourself.”

Advice from Carey

“Even if you're someone who hasn't experienced mental health challenges before giving birth, I think especially first time moms and moms-to-be should have a mental health professional (a therapist) that they regularly check in with (via video chat if possible). And learn the signs and symptoms to look out for before they become much more serious and it's harder for you or loved ones to find the help you need.”

Jill, Annamarie, and Carey support seeking help if you need it, anytime you need it. For Carey, she sought therapy before and after her birth while Annamarie sought help after she developed symptoms after her birth. On the other hand, Jill was not aware that she had postpartum depression until after it was over, but supports mothers asking for help so that they do not have to live in a fog with lack of joy for months as she did.

Remember, ladies: “Your health is an investment, not an expense.” There is only one you; you are unique and you are valuable, so make sure you get the help you need.

Share below. Did you experience postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety or another maternal mental illness? Did you know you were experiencing it during your illness or not until after? Did you seek help?