Postpartum Depression - What it Really Looks Like

What Postpartum Depression Really Looks Like. This is part one of a series I’m doing on women’s mental health topics.
This video is based on a viewer question from Dr. Mohammed El Sherif who is a obstetrician gynecologist with his own YouTube Channel. He wanted me to help his viewers understand Postpartum depression.

Perinatal depression refers to depression that occurs before, during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy it is called antenatal depression and anytime within 4-6 weeks after giving birth it’s called postpartum depression. Many more women develop baby blues which is mostly sadness, irritability and sleeping problems, but baby blues resolve within the first 10 days.

Postpartum depression has a deeper level of sadness, hopelessness or worthlessness. and trouble functioning and lasts much longer. The symptoms can last weeks to months. For some women this can be the start of a recurring illness that comes back in the future and lasts for months or years.

The depression that can happen postpartum, generally has the same symptoms as a depression that’s not related to pregnancy. This would be symptoms like depressed mood, poor appetite, poor sleep – and this poor sleep would look like trouble sleeping when your baby is sleeping. You can also have irritability, decreased appetite and suicidality. These symptoms can show up in the first 72 hours after you give birth. So it can come on fast.

In this video, I discuss what causes postpartum depression and what are some of the risk factors. In another video, I discuss how we treat postpartum depression.

Want to know more about mental health and self-improvement? On this channel I discuss topics such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), relationships and personal development/self-improvement. If you don’t want to miss a video, click here to subscribe. https://goo.gl/DFfT33

References
Marlene P. Freeman, Paul E. Keck, Jr., And Susan L. Mcelroy. Postpartum Depression With Bipolar Disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry 2001 158:4, 652-652

Ellen Leibenluft, M.D., and Kimberly A. Yonkers, M.D. The Ties That Bind: Maternal-Infant Interactions and the Neural Circuitry of Postpartum Depression. American Journal of Psychiatry Vol 167, Issue 1101 Nov 2010

Feldman R, Granat A, Pariente C, Kanety H, Kunit J, Gilboa-Schechtman E: Maternal depression and anxiety across the postpartum year and infant social engagement, fear regulation, and stress reactivity. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2009; 48:919–927
Park M, Brain U, Grunau RE, Diamond A, Oberlander TF. Maternal depression trajectories from pregnancy to 3 years postpartum are associated with children's behavior and executive functions at 3 and 6 years. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2018 Jun; 21(3):353-363. Epub 2018 Jan 16.

Evans J, Melotti R, Heron J, Ramchandani P, Wiles N, Murray L, Stein A. The timing of maternal depressive symptoms and child cognitive development: a longitudinal study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2012 Jun; 53(6):632-40. Epub 2011 Dec 23.


Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.