Perinatal and postpartum depression

How is PTSD different than postpartum depression? Should you screen for postpartum depression? Can therapy help improve my postpartum depression? What is postpartum or peripartum depression? There’s a big difference between what is known as the “baby blues” and perinatal and postpartum depressions ( PPD ).

For many new moms, the change in hormones, the stress of labor and delivery and the change in schedule when a new baby arrives can make them feel tire crabby and a bit down… more commonly known as the “baby blues. We used to only think of depression as happening postpartum and concentrated on postpartum depression (PPD) but research has showed us that many women experience these symptoms during pregnancy too. Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety that occur during pregnancy or within a year of delivery are now referred to as Perinatal Mood Disorders (PPMDs).

The percentages are even higher for women who are also dealing with poverty, and can be twice as high for teen parents. Ten percent of women experience depression in pregnancy. In fact, perinatal depression is the most common complication of childbirth. Symptoms can start anytime during pregnancy or the first year postpartum.

Perinatal depression is defined as an episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) occurring either during pregnancy or within the first months postpartum , and is one of the most common complications of the both the prenatal and postpartum period , with a prevalence of to in women of childbearing age.

Consistent documentation of the widespread prevalence of perinatal depression has led to recent recommendations for routine screening (“strongly encouraged but not mandated”) for. Perinatal anxiety symptoms can include the following: panic attacks, hyperventilation, excessive worry, restless sleep, and repeated thoughts or images of frightening things happening to the baby. Perinatal depression often goes unrecognized because changes in sleep, appetite, and libido may be attributed to normal pregnancy and postpartum changes. In addition to health care providers not recognizing such symptoms , women may be reluctant to report changes in their mood. The Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project (MCPAP) created the MCPAP for Moms toolkit to assist front-line perinatal care providers in the prevention, identification and treatment of depression and other mental health concerns in pregnant and postpartum women.

MCPAP for Moms, a Massachusetts program, has many national aspects and can serve as a model for many other states to help providers help women with perinatal depression. Online Therapy with a Licensed Counselor. Available Anytime, Anywhere You Need It.

The Time is Now to Put Yourself First. Do you have questions about depression during and after pregnancy? Sarah Noble, DO, Psychiatrist at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia talks about perinatal depression , postpartum depression , the causes, the symptoms and treatment. If you have any concerns about these issues, be sure to talk to your medical provider.

Prenatal depression happens during pregnancy. It can last several weeks. Babies who experience “failure to thrive” or who have low weight or delayed development often have mothers who are emotionally unattached.

Postpartum depression happens after delivery.

Sadly, postpartum depression also increases the risk of maternal suicide. It is well established that perinatal depression can result in negative short- and long-term effects on both the woman and child. These conditions are strongly linked to a previous mental health history and there may be a family or genetic predisposition for anxiety-related conditions. In this review, the term perinatal depression encompasses depressive symptoms that occur during pregnancy as well as those that continue during or begin in the first year postpartum. The most important update on the topic is that while the diagnosis of depression during the postpartum period has not change the specifier involving the time period for the relevant symptoms has been extended.

But some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression. Rarely, an extreme mood disorder called postpartum psychosis also may develop after childbirth.