The process of child birth can be an extremely emotional life event and women who have given birth may experience a range of intense feelings from joy and anticipation to fear. Within the first few weeks after having a baby it may be common for the mother to have extreme changes of mood with anxiety, depression, crying as well as insomnia. There are many issues which can be faced by new parents which may be related to lack of support and loneliness, anxiety and stress related to the new parenting role as well as a desire to recapture aspects of life before pregnancy and child-birth. There can be a great feeling of loss and grief for the end of a period of life with complete freedom and many new parents fail to address the emotional effects of this. It can help greatly to speak with a qualified therapist about various issues, including postnatial depression, experienced after child birth.
Postpartum / post-natal depression
Postpartum depression, however is a serious issue which develops for some women and is experienced as extreme anxiety and sadness which can interfere with her ability to take care of herself and her family. In some cases this period of depression may only last a few weeks and simply be “baby blues” however it is crucial that women experiencing severe postpartum depression identify and address this as quickly as possible. Seeing a qualified therapist who specialises in helping women with postpartum issues including depression can be a greatly needed support for mothers struggling with their new role as a mother.
Causes of Post-natal depression
The cause postnatal depression is largely unknown but factors associated with it are a history of mental health problems, especially depression, during earlier in life or pregnancy, suffering a recent traumatic events such as bereavement, a lack of close family or friends for support, having a poor relationship with your partner. It can often takes time to adjusting to being a parent and caring for a baby is stressful and exhausting.
