Postpartum depression is a major form of depression that begins within the 4 weeks after giving birth and is diagnosed depending on both the duration and severity of the depression. About 1 in 10 women who have the baby blues go on to develop postpartum depression and about 1 in 1000 women may go on to develop postpartum psychosis which is the most severe mental health condition a mother can develop post giving birth.
While most mothers will not experience postpartum depression, there are some factors that may increase your risk. If you see a risk factor that you can relate to, please do not worry, there is no definitive proof of the correlation between these risk factors and postpartum depression. This list is to provide you with enough information so you and your partner will be well prepared to acknowledge and realise what you or your partner is going through when emotions run high.  Â
Postpartum depression risk factors
- Previous history of depression, familial history of depression, severe PMS
- These women are more susceptible to hormonal changes
- Having two or more children
- A risky pregnancy
- Emergency c-section
- Hospitalisation during pregnancy
- Going off course of what was the ideal scenario for the mother
- Young age
- The lowest rate was recorded in women aged 31 to 35
- Lack of social support
- Low income
- Severe lack of sleep
- A history of drug and alcohol abuse
- Stressful events within a year of childbirth, i.e illness, job loss, or death of a loved one
How to prepare yourself
It is not all doom and gloom if you have any of the risk factors mentioned here. There are plenty of ways that you can prepare yourself to be sufficiently armed with the right tools to combat postpartum depression if you do begin to suffer from it.
If you have a history of depression or you can relate to a few of the risk factors, seek professional help before you give birth. This will provide you with a treatment plan in case things do turn towards PPD. Treatments do not only involve medication, there are other ways you can opt for instead if the prospect of taking medication puts you off treating your depression.Â
Have realistic expectations of what delivery and the first few weeks of motherhood will be like. Comparing yourself to celebrities or Instagram influencers who only show the highlight reel makes it impossible to give yourself the time and space you need to adjust to this new role in your life. Enrolling yourself in parenting or childbirth classes and attending support groups with new mothers will allow you to create a more balanced view of what you can expect. This will also help avoid feeling let down as everyone will tell you, that not everything will go exactly as planned.Â
Set up a strong social support network. Let people assist you and donât be afraid of asking for help. When they say it takes a village, it really does. You donât have to do it all yourself. Take the evening off, hand your little one to their grandparents or any people that you trust, and just take a nice nap or call over some friends and complain. Even just 5 minutes can make a massive difference.
Focus on nutrition Studies show that eating well and exercising can decrease your risk of developing PPD as it gives your body the boost of endorphins it needs.
If you need to prioritise yourself for an hour or two every single day then thatâs what you have to do. Go back to the things you used to love doing before you became a mother and recognise that whilst you may feel guilty for putting yourself first, youâre actually benefiting your little one in the long run. They will experience bonding with a mother who is happy and fulfilled and can, therefore, be present and provide undivided attention to their little one whilst not sacrificing themselves completely. A happy mother means a happy baby.
If despite all these tips, you continue to not feel like your best self then there is nothing to be ashamed about. These mental health conditions are not a character flaw or your mistake, they are simply a complication of giving birth. Â
