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Expecting or New mother - What is a
Postpartum Mood Disorder (PPMD)
What is a Postpartum
Mood Disorder (PPMD)?
Could
I have PPMD?
Common feelings
and fears of women with PPMD
PPMD
Stories - New!
What
you can do to feel better
Resources
What is a Postpartum Mood Disorder
[Also see, PPMD
brochure]
Postpartum Blues [Complete
list of symptoms of Postpartum Blues]
Having a baby can be a wonderful experience,
but life with a new baby is not always what you expect. Pregnancy
and the period following birth bring physical, emotional and
social changes. Adjustments to the new roles and relationships
are not always easy. 80% of new moms experience the "Baby
Blues". Symptoms include sadness, crying spells, poor
concentration, and irritability. Postpartum blues usually
start within three days of giving birth and can last up to
14 days. Taking care of yourself and getting support will
help you to feel better. These feelings usually go away without
treatment.
[Top
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Postpartum Mood Disorders
[Complete list of
Postpartum Mood Disorder symptoms]
More serious adjustment difficulties are
Postpartum Mood Disorders - mental health difficulties that
affect many new moms within the first year of having a baby.
Some of these are postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety,
obsessive-compulsive disorder. Up to 20 % of women experience
postpartum mood disorders after the birth of a child, a stillbirth
or a miscarriage. Men can also experience emotional difficulty,
especially if their partner is depressed.
Symptoms may begin during pregnancy and
last into the postpartum period. For a complete list of symptoms,
click here. If symptoms
last longer than 2 weeks or are severe enough to interfere
with your daily routine, it is time to seek help.
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Postpartum psychosis
[Complete list
of symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis]
Postpartum Psychosis is the most severe
and, fortunately, least common postpartum disorder. It occurs
in about 1 to 2 out of 1000 women who give birth. Onset is
sudden and usually occurs within the first 2-3 weeks. It is
a medical emergency and often requires hospitalization and
medication. If a new mother is psychotic she may experience
the following symptoms.
Thinking and possibly planning of harming self or baby
Hearing or
seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)
Believing
people or things are going to harm her or the baby (paranoia)
Feeling confused
and out of touch with reality (includes delusions)
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If you or
someone you care about has any of these symptoms, get
help NOW
Your
healthcare provider (family physician, midwife, nurse,
OB/GYN, psychiatrist)
Your
local hospital's emergency department
Your
local crisis intervention line
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Common feelings and fears of women with
PPMD
Many women have unrealistic expectations
as our society portrays idealized images of motherhood - TV
commercials, books, and even parenting magazines depict mothers
as selfless, happy, tireless, organized, keeping a perfectly
neat house, and having a dinner ready for their hard working
husbands. Mothers believe that giving birth, caring and bonding
with a baby is a natural and fulfilling experience. When comparing
themselves to these images women inevitably fall short and
begin to think that they are bad mothers and that their feelings
of anger, irritation, and fear are abnormal. This in turn
leads to guilt, shame and isolation that, if unchecked, can
spiral out of control. These are the things mothers often
feel.
Guilt,
thinking they are not a good enough mother
Anger and
irritation
Shame for
feeling and thinking the way they are
Thinking
that they are the only ones feeling that way
Thinking
that no one will understand
Fear of
leaving the baby or of being with the baby
Fear of
having the baby taken away by children's services
Fear of
losing their identity
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