I often hear a saying from many people: "Everyone gave birth to the same child, but others are fine. How can you be so melodramatic? "
In fact, postpartum depression has two aspects: one is postpartum depression, and the other is psychological disease-postpartum depression.
According to the survey, 50%-80% mothers will experience emotional uncertainty after giving birth: they love and hate the little life they have brought to the world, become sensitive and suspicious about many things in life, and produce a lot of negative emotions dominated by depression. This is the stage of postpartum depression for mothers.
This is not a mental illness, but a normal reaction of the body to childbirth.
Four common causes of postpartum depression
1, depressive episode history or family history
Women with a history of depression before pregnancy; Pregnant mothers who are emotionally unstable during pregnancy and accompanied by anxiety and depression will bring depression to postpartum. People with a family history of depression or bipolar disorder are also more likely to suffer from postpartum depression.
2. Changes of endocrine level
Due to the effects of estrogen and progesterone, postpartum mothers will rapidly decline from the high level of pregnancy, and the changes of postpartum hormones will make Ma Bao's mood sensitive and changeable.
In addition, the role change is not suitable, and it is inevitable that you can't change from a cared-for daughter and girl to a mother and a baby mother and enter a new role.
3, the production is not smooth or there are obstetric complications.
Pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, placental abruption, gestational diabetes, uterine rupture, amniotic fluid embolism, postpartum hemorrhage, etc. , leading to postpartum urine leakage, leg and foot deformation or edema, becoming the cause of "postpartum depression".
4. There is a gap in the degree of family care.
After childbirth, most of the family's attention may be transferred to the children, and postpartum mothers need comfort and care very much. If the family doesn't understand, it will make Ma Bao feel a lot of pressure, lack of family companionship and care, and his inner anxiety can't be resolved. In addition, the baby has irregular work and rest, crying and so on. , leading to postpartum mother insomnia, mental weakness and other symptoms, easy to cause "postpartum depression."
Core symptom group
It mainly includes three symptoms: depression, loss of interest and pleasure, decreased energy, increased fatigue and decreased activity. This is the key symptom of PPD. At least two of the above three symptoms should be included in the diagnosis of PPD.
1. Emotional depression: PPD patients are depressed and unhappy, and often cry for a long time for no reason. Typical cases have a rhythmic change that the morning is heavier than the night is lighter, that is, emotional depression is more serious in the morning and can be alleviated in the afternoon or evening.
2. Loss of interest and pleasure: It is difficult for PPD patients to get interested in activities that they were very interested in before, to get pleasure from daily life and activities, and to experience the joy of looking after babies.
3. Decreased energy that leads to increased fatigue and decreased activity: PPD patients will experience different degrees of fatigue, difficulty in activity, decreased energy, and can't effectively recover their energy or physical strength through rest or sleep.
Psychological symptoms
1. Anxiety: The anxiety symptoms of PPD patients are more common than those of MDD patients in other time periods, and they often have serious anxiety and even panic attacks.
2. The ability to concentrate is reduced: PPD patients often have difficulty concentrating, and their attention drops during conversation, and they are slow to answer questions, and sometimes they need to ask and answer questions.
3. Self-evaluation and reduced self-confidence: PPD suffers from self-evaluation and feels that nothing is different from others, and nothing will lack self-confidence. When things don't go well, it always blames itself and aggravates its negative evaluation.
4. Self-guilt and worthlessness: PPD patients think that they are sorry for their children, a burden on their families and society, that they are useless and worthless, and even that they are guilty.
5. Think that the future is bleak and pessimistic: PPD patients think that the future is bleak, they can't see the light, and they feel pessimistic and desperate about their future.
6. suicidal thoughts or behaviors: Some PPD patients may have suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Sometimes PPD patients will have "extended suicide", that is, they will kill others and then commit suicide. The target of killing people is often their own baby, which leads to extremely serious consequences. This kind of thinking of hurting a baby and punishing it are common. Need to arouse everyone's high vigilance
7. Obsessive concept: PPD patients often have the obsessive concept of hurting their babies. Mothers avoid contact with their children because they are worried that their children can't control their injuries.
8. Psychotic symptoms: mainly refers to hallucinations and delusions. Sometimes there will be a comprehensive perception disorder, thinking that the child's shape, size and color have changed, even like a small monster, thus causing behavior that hurts the baby.
Somatic symptom group
The probability of PPD patients complicated with physical symptoms is very high. Sometimes, physical symptoms may become the first symptom of patients, or the common physical symptoms complained by doctors are:
1. Sleep disorder: difficulty in falling asleep and easy to wake up are the most common, and waking up early is the most characteristic.
2. Loss of appetite and weight loss: Most PPD patients show loss of appetite and reduced food intake. Often accompanied by weight loss.
3. Decreased libido: It can be decreased libido or even complete loss. Some patients reluctantly and passively maintain sexual behavior, but they cannot experience pleasure from it.
4. Nonspecific physical symptoms: Common complaints include headache, low back pain, nausea, constipation, burning sensation in the stomach and flatulence. Patients with PPD often attribute it to "catching a cold in the second month, failing to raise it well, and getting moon disease"
It is not the mother's responsibility to correctly understand postpartum depression, which is very important for every member of the family.
Prenatal and postpartum depression not only brings great pain to one's body and mind, but also has a great negative impact on the healthy growth of the baby. At this time, as their relatives, especially their closest lovers, they should be able to shoulder their responsibilities, calmly and rationally analyze the causes of her depression, and conduct timely and relative counseling. Never blindly accuse, alienate and be indifferent, thinking that this is acting and melodramatic.