Postpartum Depression

Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash

TRIGGER WARNING: today's episode discusses suicide and postpartum depression

In today’s episode, Dave shares a personal experience with suicide and postpartum depression. Dave will also provide some information on the signs of postpartum depression from the Mayo Clinic.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing postpartum depression, please seek professional advice.

Resources:

• Postpartum depression from the Mayo Clinic

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

TRANSCRIPT

David: Trigger warning. This podcast discuss suicide and postpartum depression.

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David: In today's episode, we're talking about postpartum depression. Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Papa est Fatigué Podcast. The podcast for dads by dads. Today's episode is a little different. I normally sit down with my co-host Jim to talk about some aspect of parenting, but we've recently experienced the tragedy and I think that recording this podcast will be a little therapeutic and help me process what's happened. Today I'm going solo.

Just a few days ago we learned that a sister of a friend of ours committed suicide with her seven-month-old son. She had a severe case of postpartum depression and was going through counseling at the time. My goal for today's podcast is simply to bring some awareness to the topic of postpartum depression. I am, by no means, an expert or a medical professional, but my hope is simply that by talking about the subject, someone may recognize the signs of postpartum depression and seek expert help.

When we had our first, there were a couple of things that I was on high alert for, SIDS and postpartum depression. I felt like, in the case of postpartum depression, if my wife was going through it, she might not recognize what was happening, and so I really felt like it was my responsibility to keep tabs on her.

If you are a soon-to-be father or a new father listening to this particular episode and wondering why I'm talking about postpartum and what it has to do with fatherhood, it's because I think you have a very important role to play. By the way, postpartum also affects men as well. Something to think about.

With that being said, I'm simply going to read an article on postpartum depression from the Mayo Clinic. As I said before, I'm not an expert, so please reach out to an expert for advice.

Most new moms experience postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues typically begin in the first two to three days after delivery and may last up to two weeks, but some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression. Rarely, an extreme mood disorder called postpartum psychosis may also develop after childbirth.

Postpartum depression isn't a character flaw or a weakness. Sometimes it's simply a complication of giving birth. If you have postpartum depression, prompt treatment can help you manage your symptoms and help you bond with your baby. As an aside, as I mentioned, I am simply reading this article from the Mayo Clinic, so a lot of times it's going to be referring specifically to the mom, but remember that, again, as the dad, you will have your role to play in this, so understanding what these symptoms are will be very important.

Signs and symptoms of depression after childbirth vary and they can range from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms of baby blues, which last only a few days to a week or two after your baby is born, may include mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, crying, reduced concentration, appetite problems, and trouble sleeping.

Postpartum depression may be mistaken for baby blues at first, but the signs and symptoms are more intense and last longer, and may eventually interfere with your ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks. Symptoms usually develop within the first few weeks after giving birth, but may begin earlier, during pregnancy, or later, up to a year after birth.

Postpartum depression signs and symptoms may include depressed mood or severe mood swings, excessive crying, difficulty bonding with your baby, withdrawing from family and friends, loss of appetite or eating much more than usual, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy, reduced interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy, intense irritability and anger, fear that you're not a good mother, hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy, diminished ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions, restlessness, severe anxiety and panic attacks, thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Untreated postpartum depression may last for many months or longer. With postpartum psychosis, it's a rare condition that typically develops within the first week after delivery. The signs and symptoms are severe. They may include confusion and disorientation, obsessive thoughts about your baby, hallucinations and delusions, sleep disturbances, excess of energy and agitation, paranoia, attempts to harm yourself or your baby.

Postpartum psychosis may lead to life-threatening thoughts or behaviors and requires immediate treatment. New fathers can also experience postpartum depression. They may feel sad or fatigued, be overwhelmed, experience anxiety, or have changes in their usual eating and sleeping patterns. The same symptoms as mothers with postpartum depressive experience.

Fathers who are young, have a history of depression, experienced relationship problems, or are struggling financially are most at risk of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression in fathers, sometimes called paternal postpartum depression, can have the same negative impacts on partner relationships and child development as postpartum depression in mothers can.

If you're a new father and are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety during your partner's pregnancy or in the first year after your child's birth, talk to your healthcare professional. Similar treatments and supports provided to mothers with postpartum depression can be beneficial in treating postpartum depression in fathers.

If you're feeling depressed after your baby's birth, you may be reluctant or embarrassed to admit it but if you experience any symptoms of postpartum baby blues or postpartum depression, call your doctor and schedule an appointment. If you have symptoms that suggest you may have postpartum psychosis, get help immediately. It's important to call your doctor as soon as possible if the signs and symptoms of depression don't have any of these features.

Don't fade after two weeks, are getting worse, make it harder for you to care for your baby, make it hard to complete everyday tasks, include thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. If at any point you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, immediately seek help from your partner or loved ones in taking care of your baby and call 911 or your local emergency assistance number to get help.

Also, consider these other options if you're having suicidal thoughts. Seek help from your primary care provider or other healthcare professional. Call a mental health professional. Call a suicide hotline. In the US, the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK or you can use the webchat on suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat. Reach out to a close friend or loved one. Contact a minister or a spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community.

People with depression may not recognize or acknowledge they're depressed. They may not be aware of signs and symptoms of depression. If you suspect that a friend or loved one has postpartum depression or is developing postpartum psychosis, help them seek medical attention immediately. Don't wait and hope for improvement.

There's no single cause of postpartum depression but physical and emotional issues may play a role. After childbirth, a dramatic drop in hormones in your body may contribute to postpartum depression. Other hormones produced by your thyroid gland may also drop sharply which can leave you feeling tired, sluggish, and depressed.

When you're sleep-deprived and overwhelmed, you may have trouble handling even minor problems. You may be anxious about your ability to care for a newborn. You may feel less attractive, struggle with your sense of identity, or feel that you've lost control over your life. Any of these issues can contribute to postpartum depression.

Any new mom could experience postpartum depression and it can develop after the birth of any child, not just the first. However, your risk increases if you have a history of depression, either during pregnancy or at other times, you have bipolar disorder, you had postpartum depression after a previous pregnancy, you have family members who've had depression or other mood disorders. You've experienced stressful events during the past year, such as pregnancy complications, illness, or job loss.

Your baby has health problems or other special needs. You have twins, triplets, or other multiple births. You have difficulty breastfeeding. You're having problems in your relationship with your spouse or significant other. You have a weak support system, you have financial problems, the pregnancy was unplanned or unwanted.

If left untreated, postpartum depression can interfere with mother-child bonding and cause family problems. For mothers, untreated postpartum depression can last for months or longer, sometimes becoming a chronic depressive disorder, and even when treated, postpartum depression increases a woman's risk for future episodes of major depression.

For fathers, postpartum depression can have a ripple effect, causing emotional strain for everyone close to a new baby. When a new mother is depressed, the risk of depression in the baby's father may also increase, and new dads are already at increased risk of depression whether or not their partner is affected.

For children of mothers who have untreated postpartum depression are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems such as sleeping and eating difficulties, excessive crying, and delays in language development. If you have a history of depression, especially postpartum depression, tell your doctor if you're planning on becoming pregnant as soon as you find out if you're pregnant.

During pregnancy, your doctor can monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of depression. He or she may have you complete a depression screening questionnaire during your pregnancy and after delivery. Sometimes, mild depression can be managed with support groups, counseling, or other therapies. In other cases, antidepressants may be recommended even during pregnancy.

After your baby is born, your doctor may recommend an early postpartum checkup to screen for signs and symptoms of postpartum depression. The earlier it's detected, the earlier treatment can begin. If you have a history of postpartum depression, your doctor may recommend antidepressant treatment or psychotherapy immediately after delivery.

If you're a father, even if you're not experiencing postpartum depression, you do have a role to play. You can keep an eye out for signs that your wife is experiencing postpartum depression. I can't stress this enough that this is not a character flaw, has nothing to do with the ability of the mother to be a good mom, or if you are experiencing postpartum depression, your ability to be a good dad. This is just something that happens sometimes, but please, take it seriously, learn the symptoms and if you're even a little bit concerned, reach out to your doctor or other expert.

We hope you found today's episode informative. If you'd like to support the podcast and hear more discussions around fatherhood, please subscribe and drop us a review. If you have any questions, hit us up on the Facebook page, facebook.com/papaestfatigue. Thanks for listening.

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