Maternal Mood Symptoms in Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression

Health Education Concerning Postpartum Depression on Maternal Health

• Meaning
• Causes
• Symptoms
• Managing postpartum depression
• Avoiding postpartum depression

As a woman, it is essential to understand postpartum depression and the fact that it can happen to any woman during or after pregnancy. Post-delivery depression is a condition that many women often go through during pregnancy or after they have delivered. After giving birth, women often experience a dramatic drop in their hormones, particularly progesterone and estrogen in their bodies, which create postpartum depression (Ahlqvist-Björkroth et al., 2019). Other hormones such as the thyroid glands may also change significantly, leaving someone feeling depressed and tired. Emotional issues that may also lead to postpartum depression may start when a pregnant woman or a lactating mother is overwhelmed or sleep-deprived (Ahlqvist-Björkroth et al., 2019). They may have trouble handling minor issues, and this leaves them anxious concerning their ability to care for a new-born. Such women may feel as if they are less attractive; they may struggle with their sense of self-identity or feel as if they lost control over their lives. Any of all these issues can lead to postpartum depression (Ahlqvist-Björkroth et al., 2019). The symptoms of the condition include severe mood swings or depressed moods, excessive crying, difficulty bonding with the baby, withdrawing from both friends, and family members, loss of appetite, or eating too much than the expected intake. People who go through postpartum depression should learn how to manage it as they will interfere with the growth of the fetus and the subsequent development of the baby (Ahlqvist-Björkroth et al., 2019). Thus, it is essential to manage this condition as effectively as possible and avoid any factors that may bring about the ailment.

Health Education Concerning Postpartum Depression on Infant’s Health

• Growth and development of the infant
• Nutritional needs of the infant
• The health of the infant
• Risk factors for mothers
• Postpartum from the side of the father

When mothers who have given birth experience postpartum depression, they pass it on to the infants. The growth and the development of the infants become slow because such mothers will not have adequate time to take care of their new-borns as expected. They often need adequate attention, and if they do not get it, their growth will be affected at great length. Moreover, such mothers will not give their children the nutritional needs they require (Farías-Antúnez et al., 2020). These infants will lack nutrients in their bodies because they will not get them from their mothers, who fail to feed as required. An infant often depends on the mother, and if they do not get the support, then they will be malnourished and, therefore, their health will not be well (Farías-Antúnez et al., 2020). The risk factors of postpartum depression include unplanned pregnancies, financial problems, weak support system, particularly from the father of the child, difficulty in breastfeeding, special needs, or any other health problems. Postpartum depression can also have a ripple effect, which can cause emotional strain for people who are close to the infant (Farías-Antúnez et al. 2020). When new mothers are depressed, the father’s risk of depression may also go up. Besides, new fathers have a high risk of depression, whether their partners are affected or not.

Health Education Concerning Postpartum Depression on Children’s Health

• Emotional and behavioral problems
• The health of the children
• Future episodes
• After the baby is born
• Counseling

Children whose parents undergo postpartum depression have both behavioral and emotional problems such as eating and sleeping difficulties, delays in the development of language, and excessive crying. The health of the affected children is at risk because of the depression that either one or all their parents go through (Sarah et al., 2017). The infants can experience future episodes of depression if their parents do not treat them well. After the baby is born, the doctor should recommend an early postpartum check-up that will screen for all the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression and avoid passing it over to the offspring (Sarah et al., 2017). Importantly, children whose parents undergo such conditions should also go through counseling to help them heal from what they have been through.

References

Ahlqvist-Björkroth, S., Axelin, A., Korja, R., & Lehtonen, L. (2019). An educational intervention for NICU staff decreased maternal postpartum depression. Pediatric Research, 85(7), 982-986. Web.

Farías-Antúnez, S., Santos, I. S., Matijasevich, A., & de Barros, A. J. D. (2020). Maternal mood symptoms in pregnancy and postpartum depression: Association with exclusive breastfeeding in a population-based birth cohort. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 635-643. Web.

Sarah, S. B., Forozan, S. P., & Leila, D. (2017). The relationship between the model of delivery and postpartum depression. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 10(4), 874-877. Web.