In The News - Postpartum Mental Health Awareness

Did you know that 1 in 7 mothers develops postpartum depression?  And up to 1 in 10 fathers develop postpartum depression?

 I recently spoke with WISH TV’s Lena Pringle to discuss postpartum mental health awareness and postpartum depression. Go to the WISH TV Daybreak site to see the full video and get more information about this important issue.

Signs of postpartum depression sometimes look the way we expect: sad mood, crying, social isolation, change in appetite, and sleep disturbance. Other times there are symptoms we don’t always expect like anger, irritability, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. These intrusive thoughts come on suddenly and often repeat frequently - they often involve picturing a terrible thing occurring to the new baby.

During pregnancy, we focus on the new parents and preparing for the new baby during. There are frequent medical check-ups, baby showers and lists of needed baby care items to research, and planning for labor and delivery.

Suddenly the adorable baby is born, and all attention shifts to the newborn’s care. Typically, the birth parent goes from weekly medical visits to waiting up to 6 weeks to get checked again. They are sent home from the hospital still bleeding, with breastfeeding barely started and often struggling, and are left alone to figure things out. New parents often feel they have been dropped off a cliff without a safety net to catch them.

Family and friends often rush to meet the new baby and help, but that support often drops off quickly. And rarely do these well-wishers know how to jump in and help the parents with all the support they need with house care, mental health support, and physical care needs.

It is not surprising that postpartum mental health issues are so common in this climate of overlooking and minimizing the needs of postpartum parents. If you are worried about yourself or someone you know, please reach out for help. It is far better to reach out and get more support than might have been necessary than to miss something that was actually worse than suspected.

You can call the free Postpartum Support International hotline at 1-800-944-4773 for non emergency information and guidance on local resources. If you suspect an emergency situation, you should not call Dr. Moore or the PSI hotline - instead please immediately contact the US National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

Remember this: There is help. You are not alone. Things will improve. Please reach out for help - you and your baby are worth it.