Postpartum mental health issues: causes, risks, and what to do
In a woman's life, pregnancy is a very special and sensitive time. During this time, not only do physical changes occur, women also face various mental and emotional changes. While this issue deserves a lot of attention, but most of the cases it’s not given as much importance.
Postpartum mental health problems
One of the postpartum mental health problems is 'maternity blues' or 'postpartum blues.' Two out of every three mothers experience this problem.
Symptoms in this case irritability, annoyance, sadness, rapid mood swings, decreased concentration, and problems with sleep and food.
Usually, no treatment is needed. A mother can overcome this problem with a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and, most importantly, emotional support.
About 5 per cent of mothers may suffer from intense depression after childbirth. Its symptoms are intense and long-lasting. Usually it starts within a few weeks of delivery.
Mood swings, excessive crying, reluctance to bond with the baby, feelings of loneliness, sadness, apathy, loss of the child, and even thoughts of suicide may come to the mother's mind.
However, all mothers will not experience all the symptoms. In this case, a psychiatrist should be consulted.
Another problem is psychosis. One or two mothers out of every thousand experience this problem. Symptoms can include confusion, suspicion, and obsession with the baby, hallucinations, delusions, and a tendency to harm or even kill oneself or the child.
If treatment is started on time, mothers recover in 75 per cent of cases. However, the mother must be under the observation of a psychiatrist and a gynecologist.
Causes and risks
Sudden estrogen and progesterone fluctuation imbalance in the mother's body.
Lack of family empathy and cooperation, loneliness, and not receiving love.
Lack of financial support for medical treatment during pregnancy and for taking care of the baby.
Unwanted pregnancy, child marriage, physical or mental abuse by the husband, and marital conflict can cause these problems for the mother.
What to do
To prevent the mother's mental health problems, a doctor should be consulted from the time of planning the pregnancy. After childbirth, the mother herself becomes busy with the new born.
This disrupts the mother's care and rest. Therefore, all family members, including the husband, should extend a helping hand.
* Saraban Tahura, Consultant, Gynae and Obs, Alok Mother and Child Care, Dhaka.