By Sanjana Malkareddy
By Stormseeker from Unsplash
What is postpartum?
Postpartum is the period, six to eight weeks, after giving birth. During this period your body is going through major changes as it adjusts itself to its pre-pregnancy state. Postpartum is a physical and mental challenge as you undergo major physical changes and have to adjust to meet the needs of your baby. There are three main stages of postpartum: the acute phase, the subacute phase, and the delayed phase.
Acute Phase: This phase lasts six to twelve hours after childbirth. During this phase, you are at greater risk of experiencing medical emergencies and may go through conditions like postpartum hemorrhage or eclampsia. Your healthcare provider may also check for bleeding, blood pressure, heart rate, and abnormal swelling.
Subacute Phase: This phase lasts two to six weeks and starts roughly 24 hours after giving birth. Even though your body is going through changes during this phase, you are less likely to have a medical emergency. However, conditions such as postpartum depression, cardiomyopathy, and symptoms pertaining to urinary incontinence are still a concern.
Delayed Phase: This phase begins at six weeks postpartum and can last anywhere to six months. During this phase, changes are consistent and are mainly your muscles and tissues going back to their original state. Conditions like pelvic floor dysfunction, uterine prolapse, and dyspareunia may arise and are treated by your healthcare provider.
Postpartum blues or the baby blues
Baby blues are the most common type of postpartum mood disorder, affecting up to 50% to 75% of new mothers. This condition starts in the first week after childbirth and usually lasts up to two weeks. During this time, you may often cry without a cause and feel anxious and sad. The most effective thing to do during this time is to seek help and support from family or friends.
Symptoms of postpartum blues include emotional instability, nervousness, sadness, agitation, stress, crying, becoming easily distracted, loss of appetite, and insomnia.
Postpartum anxiety
Affecting 11% to 21% of people, postpartum anxiety is when a person has intense anxiety during the postpartum period. During this time you have irrational fears about your newborn that keep you constantly worrying day and night. For example, the fear that your baby’s breathing will stop in their sleep keeps you up all night. Treatment options include lifestyle changes or speaking to a therapist; however, more extreme cases might include medications.
Symptoms of postpartum anxiety include heart palpitations, trouble breathing, nausea, insomnia, anxiousness, agitation, difficulty focusing, and being overly cautious.
Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression is more critical than the baby blues. Approximately 1 in 7 new mothers are affected and your chances of getting postpartum depression increase by 30% if you’ve had it before. During this period you may experience mood swings, continuous crying, frustration, anxiety, extreme tiredness, and regret which can inhibit your ability to take care of yourself and your baby. Symptoms may vary from moderate to intense and can appear anywhere from a few days after childbirth to a year. Psychotherapy or antidepressants are effective treatments and can help reduce symptoms.
Symptoms of postpartum depression include withdrawing from loved ones, fatigue, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, insomnia, oversleeping, appetite problems, difficulty focusing, feelings that you're not good enough, and thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
Postpartum psychosis
Postpartum psychosis is a mental health disorder affecting mothers following childbirth, this disorder is far more severe than postpartum depression and individuals who have this disorder should seek medical attention immediately. Although it's a serious condition, it is also rare and generally affects 1 in 1,000 mothers. The symptoms are intense and quickly noticeable post-delivery, lasting from several weeks to many months. If you have postpartum psychosis it's important to visit a healthcare provider as the chances of harming yourself or your baby are greatly increased. Hospitalization, medication, and psychotherapy are recommended treatments if you have this condition.
Symptoms of postpartum psychosis include hallucinations, delusions, mania, hypomania, trouble sleeping, easily irritated, chaotic behavior or thinking, and thoughts of hurting self or others.
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that during the postpartum period, your body is going through major changes as it tries to return to its pre-pregnancy state. You’re also going through major mental and emotional changes as you deal with the physical symptoms of postpartum and life with a newborn. Thus it's crucial to take care of yourself, especially if you’re facing postpartum mood disorders, and accept help when it comes.
MCR Committee: Health
Citations
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, November 24). Postpartum depression. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20376617
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-a). Postpartum anxiety: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22693-postpartum-anxiety
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-b). Postpartum depression: Causes, symptoms & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9312-postpartum-depression
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-c). Postpartum psychosis: What it is, symptoms & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24152-postpartum-psychosis
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-d). The postpartum period. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/postpartum