Help! I have postpartum depression
The pregnancy passes, the baby arrives, everyone visits the new member of the family, but as the days go by, you are alone with your child, a stage of depression begins, you start crying, you feel strange and uncomfortable, you think that you cannot give to carve, and you find yourself overwhelmed and confused.
Many moms go through this experience, what was supposed to be a moment of joy turns into gray nights that we cannot control.
Mixed feelings, we feel alone and only crying takes over us, our husbands and relatives want to comfort us and do not know how to help us.
That is why it is important to know what is postpartum depression and everything behind it?
What is postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression is a weakness that occurs in the mother's character that occurs in the form of a strong melancholy product of the new world she is experiencing, in some mothers it usually lasts a few days, in the case of others it can be prolonged.
During the postpartum period, the mother will experience mood changes, crying, insomnia, anxiety, discomfort and sadness, the mother feels misunderstood.
This disorder can appear on the third day after delivery and last for about two weeks.
Psychology of postpartum depression
This depression is not minor to anyone, it is necessary and should be evaluated and monitored, most mothers experience confusion and disorientation.
Incorrect or obsessive thoughts about the baby, thinking that something bad may happen to him or not understanding it.
Many mothers go through hallucinations and delusions, thinking that others are against them, that nobody understands them, some think that their husbands can leave them or deceive them.
Insomnia ends up taking control of his body, at night the baby wakes up several times and during the day it is difficult to fall asleep.
There are very dangerous cases in which mothers can attack themselves or the baby, there are also excesses of energy and agitation.
Causes of postpartum depression
It is proven that after childbirth there is a drop in the mother's levels of hormones called estrogen and progesterone in her body, opening the mother to depression.
In some cases, the product can be triggered by trauma during pregnancy or labor, which is triggered in the days after the baby is born.
How long can postpartum depression last?
It can last from three days to two weeks, if this period of time passes it is necessary to go to a specialist, with support or treatment.
The root is that as mothers we often feel difficult to relate to the new baby, the environment and our role as mothers.
The father and postpartum depression
The father must be in charge of helping to control the mother's emotions, making her feel loved and understood, and together they can move forward despite the circumstances they are experiencing.
Help her with the baby's care and love her, make her feel and know that she loves her.
Although it is mostly mothers who go through this conflict, it is determined that a percentage of fathers are also victims of postpartum depression.
From 2 to 25% of parents may face this phenomenon, although in them the symptoms may be a little different.
The father who goes through this depression finds the root in the abandonment or displacement of the mother and other relatives towards him.
Then he begins to feel detachment towards the baby, lack of parental presence or lack of affection, isolation, jealousy, stress due to the emotional, behavioral and financial responsibilities that he now acquires as a father.
Another important aspect is the change in the marriage relationship in sexual intimacy, due to lack of time, mother's rest, among others.
Depression in the mother can also cause depression in the father, and the hormonal levels of testosterone begin to drop, all this is also produced by the lack of affection and understanding that there is towards him.
The father lives a whirlwind of emotions
From being the king of the house, he becomes a subject who lives at the mercy of the new baby, then he feels totally displaced and abandoned.
Very seldom do we talk about what the father lives, because we focus only on the mother and the baby, but a whirlwind of emotions occurs in the father's mind and heart that we must help resolve.
For all friends, family, acquaintances and even the mother it is important to stop and think a little about how we can help the father, because if he leaves for a scene time many times it is to drain everything that he is living, since by nature it is more difficult for man to express or externalize what he feels inside.
How to help a mother suffering from postpartum depression?
If you are near a mother with constant crying, anger, irritability, difficulty in caring for the baby, anxiety and panic attacks, recurring thoughts of sadness; then it is time to offer help.
There are many mothers who do not receive care or help in this process and depression can worsen and even feel thoughts of suicide or death, so it is vital to support the mother with the baby.
Help that mom with her daily chores, getting ready, laughing and being distracted; to take care of the baby with her, and keep busy.
Don't expect her to get better, help her get better, don't criticize her or the baby, love them and help them move forward.
Seeking support and professional help should be an option that every family going through this age should go to.
It is not healthy to let it go, because if it is not treated in time, these traumas can cause damage in the future of each member of the family.