Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression occurs in women who have recently given birth and is more common than

most people may think. It actually runs a spectrum from the mild postpartum blues to the more severe

postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum blues can affect up to three quarters of all women after they have a child. Medically

speaking, this is considered the “mild” end of the spectrum, although the woman going through it

might argue this point. It consists of feeling down or mildly depressed, having crying episodes and

fatigue. An important point is that there is no intention of harming oneself or others, which is an

important distinction between the blues and the more severe cases of depression.

As I mentioned above the postpartum blues is a fairly common condition and fortunately it is usually

self-limited. This means that it will usually improve in a relatively short period of time with little or

no intervention. It is understandable why so many women would experience this. After all, you have

just gone through one of the most intense situations you are likely to encounter in your life both

physically and emotionally.

All of a sudden you have a new addition who is dependant upon you for everything, not to mention the

fact that you are exhausted and your body feels terrible. Luckily, these things do improve over time as

will the case of the “blues”. Usually reassurance is the only treatment needed, but for those who need

more, a short course of mild antidepressants are usually very effective.

At the more severe end of the spectrum is postpartum psychosis. An expert absolutely must treat this

condition because the patient is usually severely depressed, and may even be a risk to herself or to

others including the newborn baby. Fortunately this condition is much less common affecting less

than 1% of new mothers.

In summary, it is fairly common for new mothers to succumb to a case of the blues after childbirth.

Most of these cases resolve quickly with little or no treatment. However, the blues must be

distinguished from the more severe forms of postpartum depression when the mother may be a risk to

herself or to others. Either way, if you or someone you know may be experiencing this condition, by

all means please contact your physician because effective treatment is available.