The joy of successful pregnancy or having a new baby is unparalleled, but pregnant women and new parents are often overwhelmed with everything- from emotion to attention. Mothers are more commonly sleep deprived, tired, hormonal, they don't feel like themselves- bloated, irritable, miserable and often anxious. It can also include frequent tearfulness, feelings of hopelessness, fatigue and, in rare instances, thoughts of self-harm. Though most women make a full recovery, and often called this "baby blues", NHS emphasises that if these symptoms last longer than two weeks, it could be postpartum (or postnatal) depression. It affects more than one in every ten women, within a year of giving birth.
The upcoming week (29th April to 5th May) is the 'Maternal Mental Health Matters Awareness Week', and the campaign is dedicated to talking about mental illness during pregnancy or postpartum depression. The aim is to help mums to access informations and help them to recover.
Samira Philip* fell pregnant almost immediately after their wedding, while her husband Steve- an ambitious professional in the City, got terribly busy with work. Self-sufficient Samira, coped fine till the baby was born. With parents in Kerala, India, waiting for their visa to come through, she could not deal with the new baby, absentee husband and no support from anyone other than occasionally visiting friends. She started spiralling into depression, more and more as the baby cried a lot due to acid reflux, which left her irritated, stressed and sleep deprived.
She soon could barely lift her head from the bed, cried endlessly, though she knew she was responsible for the baby's well-being. “I did not know what to do,” she told Asian Voice. “One morning I told my husband I resented the baby, I hated myself and I could not bear his sight. I think till then my husband who was also new to everything we were going through, and at that time the only bread winner (as I was on maternity) in the family, thought my mood swings were more common than not. But my resentment towards our own baby, was what got the alarm bells ringing. He took me to a doctor immediately, who confirmed that I was suffering from postpartum depression (PPD).”
First generation of immigrants living in this country, often do not have the required support, due to lack of family members living in the UK. Moreover there are rituals and practices, particular to the community, that often alienates pregnant women and new mothers from the rest of the society- adding to the issues already exisiting.
Risk factors
The Washington Post in an article wrote that Northwestern University identified four risk factors that may help physicians and mental health professionals anticipate the seriousness of postpartum depression. Factors included: “education, the number of children a woman has, ability to function at work and at home, and depression severity at four to eight weeks postpartum”. The study findings show that postpartum depression can vary in severity, which can affect the type of treatment a woman might need, to recover.
Sheehan Fisher, the lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine said that this information can help predict severity of maternal depression, which can help the mother if detected early. According to the researchers, postpartum depression can fall into three categories: gradual remission, partial recovery or chronic severe.
Romina Ghosh*, had a tendency of depression since her university days. When she had her second child, she could barely cope with a toddler and a second baby. Her husband who was a Sales Executive in a renowned IT company in Midlands, had to travel a lot, and she was completely at helpless with two children. She felt guilty of being a 'monster' of a mother for yelling at her older child constantly, while the younger one barely slept, making her tired beyond imagination. When diagnosed wth postpartum depression, she hoped it would gradually go away. “But it did not,” she told the newsweekly. “I started alienating myself fdrom everyone after a year of my second one's birth and there was a return of this intense feeling of emptiness.” She had no idea her depression could last this long and it caught her off guard. “The doctor never warned me this could return or linger on for so long. When I started getting suicidal thoughts, I realised I need anti-depressants. I had always struggled with depression and no one told me I was at a risk for postpartum depression. I was never screened for the disorder during pregnancy or after. Early depression screenings could help mums like me.”
Anna Ceesay, Founding Director of Motherdom, a magazine to fill in the gap with information about mental wellbeing for parents told Asian Voice, “As a mum-of-two who experienced low mood and anxiety, I was left feeling unable to cope during my second pregnancy. I realised how prevalent mental health issues are amongst parents and how difficult it can be to ask for help.
“Our recent research shows that over half (54%) of mums with children aged five and under have felt anxious since having a child, 45% have felt low, and over a third (35%) depressed. Worse still, many face these challenges alone, not able to tell others about their feelings.
“While I was lucky enough to get the help I needed, I found the information about mental wellbeing quite fragmented.
“Asking for help is by no means a sign of weakness. It is often the strongest thing you can do. By speaking out I hope we are able to let people know they are not alone.”
Postpartum depression in men
Postpartum depression however isn't a factor affecting new mothers alone. In 2016 a research found that 8% of men suffer from postnatal depression. Sometimes affected by the wife's depression, sometimes due to one's own track record, fathers are also seen suffering from postpartum depression.
Andew Mayers, a psychologist specialising in perinatal mental health at Bournemouth University told The Guardian that postpartum depression goes undiagnosed in men, because of the popular misconception that it is caused by the hormonal changes a mother experiences after giving birth. He said, “First, there is some evidence that men’s testosterone levels drop when they become fathers. Second, postnatal depression isn’t just hormonal. It’s about a whole series of factors in each individual’s psychology or history that kick in on top of everything else.” In the UK, a National Childbirth Trust (NCT) survey of new parents in 2015 found that about one in three fathers said they were concerned about their mental health. A petition by Fathers Reaching Out Group is campaigning for more understanding of fathers’ mental health issues too.
Sally Hogg from the Maternal Mental Health Alliance said you can talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP. But to start with you could also speak frankly with your partner, your mum, friend and share your feeling- it always helps.
(*Name changed on request)
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"The upcoming week (29th April to 5th May) is the 'Maternal Mental Health Matters Awareness Week', and the campaign is dedicated to talking about mental illness during pregnancy or postpartum depression. The aim is to help mums to access informations and help them to recover."
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