Post natal depression

Pregnancy & Birth |

According to research record numbers of mums are suffering from postnatal depression. More women are battling the condition than previously thought.

It’s a classless condition and can affect women from ALL walks of life. Celebrity suffererswho have spoken about the condition include Brooke Shields, Courtney Cox and Melinda Messenger.

What causes postnatal depression is not known and it is likely that a number of factors are involved. The illness may arise partly because of the hormonal changes following childbirth. The stress of looking after a young baby and having your sleep disrupted may also help to bring on the illness in susceptible people.

However, help is out there and parents should discuss any concerns with their GP, midwife or health visitor.

Mum Charlotte suffered from postnatal depression, she revealed how she felt after the birth of her child. “I was really bad for a couple of months, I didn’t even want to go out of the house. I resisted going on medication but in the end I just thought I’ve got to get better for my childrens sake because I wasn’t able to be their mother.
I first started to feel extremely low and lethargic, like I was very unable to do anything and that would counterpart itself with moments of very high anxiety. Postnatal depression was completely different to the baby blues. I didn’t feel at all myself. I remember saying I can’t cope, I can’t cope.

In its entirety it lasted about six to eight months but I was really bad for a couple of months and it was at that point [that] I did what I could to better my situation, I went to a support group which was very useful. I went onto anti depressants which really helped.”

Her husband Daniel admitted that it was a difficult time for the whole family. “She was getting up in the night, stacking the dishwasher and doing strange things like that at three and four in the morning and she just became incredibly anxious.”

Postnatal depression tends to develop when the baby is six to eight weeks old but it can start sooner. Mum of four Alison suffered when her third child became ill. “It was a very, very difficult period of my life. I look at the photos and think that I didn’t feel part of it all. It obviously happened but I was in such a bad place that I have little memory of what really went on,” she said.

Sue McDonald, from the Royal College of Midwives, who helped with the recent study added: “Women who had a bad birth experience were more likely to be depressed afterwards and that’s one of the difficulties that our members are facing at the moment. We found a higher rate of postnatal depression…..it’s thought that postnatal depression affects about one in 10 women and we found the rate of women saying that they had postnal depression was nearer 30%.

Midwives are a key group of people who can provide support and prepare women for the whole of pregnancy, for their labour and for after they’ve had the baby .”