Clinical features of postpartum blues

Most new moms experience postpartum baby blues after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings , crying spells , anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues typically begin within the first two to three days after delivery, and may last for up to two weeks. Postpartum major mood episodes are also known as PP which consists of clinical depression occurring within the first year of childbirth. Mothers are most vulnerable to PPD at approximately the fourth week after childbirth, just before the return of their menses, and at the time of weaning their infants from breastfeeding. Your doctor will usually talk with you about your feelings, thoughts and mental health to distinguish between a short-term case of postpartum baby blues and a more severe form of depression.

Share your symptoms with your doctor so that a useful treatment plan can be created for you. With postpartum depression , feelings of sadness and anxiety can be extreme and might interfere with a woman’s ability to care for herself or her family. PART 1: CLINICAL FEATURES OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression. Earlier postpartum disorders were classified as: (i) Postpartum blues ( PBs ), ( ii ) PPD (iii) PP.

This was an oversimplification. However, in addition to these, there are miscellaneous groups of anxiety and stress-related disorders occurring in the puerperium. Patients may manifest postpartum blues consisting of mild depressive symptoms that are generally self-limite or more severe syndromes of minor or major depression.

Untreated postpartum depression can result in adverse consequences for the mother and infant. The 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-report (QIDS-SR ) provides a means to assess core depressive symptoms. In some cases, postpartum depression can continue, becoming chronic depression. Stopping treatment too early may lead to a relapse.

Postpartum psychosis requires immediate treatment, usually in the hospital. Treatment may include: Medication. If women continue to experience postpartum blues beyond weeks, they should seek medical attention and be evaluated for a more severe postpartum mood disorder.

Baby blues begins during the first two to three days after delivery and resolves within days. Symptoms include brief crying spells, irritability, poor sleep, nervousness, and emotional reactivity. Summary You have completed unit IV of this module, in this unit you have learn about the clinical features of postpartum psychiatric disorders.

Clinical signs and symptoms are generalized fatigue, irritability, anxiety, concentration and decision-making difficulties, appetite changes, sleep disturbances and altered weight. PPD is differentiated from postpartum blues by checking out the symptoms’ number, intenurssity and persistence. The only possible exception is puerperal psychosis,.

The clinical manifestations generally surfaces within 1-months of delivery. How long do the baby blues usually last? The baby blues usually get better within a few days or 1–weeks without any treatment. Women with postpartum depression have intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair that prevent them from being able to do their daily tasks. What is postpartum depression?

When does postpartum depression occur? The symptoms vary and can change quickly. It involves the onset, usually within two weeks after delivery, of hallucinations, irritability, unusual thought patterns, mood swings and difficulty sleeping that last for at least two weeks. Assistance with self and infant care, family support, peer support,. Postpartum blues , also known as baby blues and maternity blues , is a very common but self-limited condition that begins shortly after childbirth and can present with a variety of symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, and tearfulness.

Mothers may experience negative mood symptoms mixed with intense periods of joy. A family history of schizophrenia is a significant risk factor. A woman with a history of bipolar disorder is at risk for postpartum psychosis.

Regular depression and PP two forms of clinical depression, share a number of symptoms. But regular depression is unrelated to childbirth, while PPD occurs after the birth of a baby.