Estefania Valenzuela  

English 001A-6808 

Professor Lewenstein 

8 November 2018

 

                            Undiagnosed Condition: Postpartum Depression 

      Postpartum depression is a undiagnosed condition that goes unnoticed. Many women suffer from it on a daily basis and nobody cares to wonder what they are feeling. These women feel ashamed of not feeling a deep connection with their newborn babies which leads them into depression. Postpartum depression can become very severe to a point that a mother might think to hurt herself and her baby. Postpartum depression can begin with some simple baby blues that last about two weeks and then after that become postpartum depression, to even postpartum psychosis. There are many symptoms that one can recognize to help identify this condition. It is very helpful for women that are going through this unnoticed condition to talk to someone about their feelings and get help as soon as possible.

     After giving birth to the first child you imagine that you have everything figured out for the next. Sometimes new mothers do not expect the changes in there lives and it begins to get extremely difficult to cope with a new situation like the one of caring for two children at the same time, especially with a newborn. Postpartum depression is a very serious condition that requires attention and treatment; either therapy or medication. New mothers begin to feel very tired, overwhelmed, lonely, and sometimes even uncapable to care for there newborn children. This condition can begin as some simple baby blues that everyone calls them which should only last a couple of weeks without taking further interest and asking the new mother if she is having other symptoms or needs to talk. Then that’s when the baby blues turn into postpartum depression which can lead the mother into feeling so unable to cope with things that she might even want to hurt herself or the newborn. If a mother does not address their postpartum depression things can begin to get out of hand to a point where is doesn't only affect her but begins to affect her spouse and children.

     As a mother of two children I can say that I felt those baby blues and never said anything about it, I am thankful that it didn't go any further into postpartum depression because many of us mothers feel depressed and are unable to say anything because we are supposed to be the moral support of our family.  No one really takes into consideration the hard work a mother puts into her family which leads a mother into thinking that she cannot talk about her feelings and the help she needs to address her undiagnosed condition. If we compare how many women are suffering from postpartum depression and how many people are suffering from high blood pressure postpartum takes over it, without counting the women that are too afraid to report this condition and what they are feeling. Postpartum is a condition that needs to be made more aware of and there should be more programs, therapy and groups affordable to the low-income community because they are the ones that suffer the most from it and because of the high prices in treatment for postpartum depression women do not address this condition.

     By not addressing PPD we allow it to escalate to a condition called Postpartum Psychosis which is a mental condition that can lead a mother into killing not only her newborn child but the rest of her family. An example of this could be when we hear or see on the news about a mother abandoning her newborn child in a trash can with umbilical cord still attached to it, or in a public restroom or that of a mother killing her children in a car accident and it can't all be thrown on drugs which is the first thing we think but the other viewpoint is that this mother might had of had those baby blues that then lead to postpartum depression and because she didn't realize this in time and no one around her did it lead her straight into postpartum psychosis.

      A former co-worker and friend of mine shared her first-hand experience with postpartum depression. I felt uncomfortable using her name, so for the purpose of this essay I will refer to her as Jane. Jane is the mother of now five year old Emily. She had always wanted to be a mother and thought she was ready to take not his challenge in her life, until she discovers that she was dealing with postpartum depression. When Jane goes back home after five day in the hospital after giving birth she discovers that she is lonely. With her mother living in a different state and her husband spends most of his day working, Jane spends all of her hours caring for herself and her newborn baby. While Jane had all these feelings of sadness and disappearance because her husband was the only person she could talk to and most of the time his attention was on their baby, her symptoms began to get worse. The symptoms that Jane was developing were causing her to get into fights with her husband. These fights were going so far to a point where her husband was thinking about divorce. In Jane Doe's words, "Sometimes I would think terrible things, like why did I get pregnant, I didn't want this for myself, I regret having a baby. After all I could do was cry and pour my eyes out because I couldn't imagine thinking these terrible things. The postpartum depression Jane was feeling was causing her to behave in ways that she couldn't even recognize herself. So, she decided to talk to her husband and together they came up with a solution and searched for a treatment.  

       So, how can we make people more aware of postpartum depression? Well to begin with many women do not report this condition, and since statistics show a little bit of women suffering from this condition, funding and awareness is very limited. If people could identify some simple symptoms of postpartum depression many women could be helped on time before having ruined theirs and their family’s life. Women with postpartum depression can end up hurting themselves or their babies. Women need to realize that conceiving a baby and caring for it is very hard and if they are having symptoms of depression or ugly thoughts then there is nothing to be ashamed of and should look for professional help. This could be very positive for alerting and creating more awareness for women with postpartum depression. Recent research shows that if postpartum depression was routinely checked just as high blood pressure and diabetes are when a woman is pregnant, then treatment could be started and tragedies could be avoided.

        The article “Prenatal Care Should Include Mental Health Screening” describes he problems there is because postpartum depression is not identified. The author Katherine Wisner Suggests that it is important for pregnant women to get routinely screened for postpartum depression just as they do for diabetes. New mothers do not receive adequate mental health care during and after pregnancy. There isn’t much awareness which is the cause of many deaths within the fourteen percent of mothers reporting postpartum depression. It is true, women should receive screenings for postpartum depression. These women should be offered mental health services, this way they can avoid having more severe thoughts like those of suicide. The app a hospital in Massachusetts developed I think is a great way to get women admit and confront the symptoms in a more personal and confidential way without the fear of being judged by a nurse or a physician. Wisner believes that screening for postpartum depression will conserve resources, will be effective, an is a model for progress. I believe normalizing the screening for postpartum depression will help more women think of this screening as necessary and important that they will not feel ashamed of admitting what they are feeling. “Screening for high blood pressure and diabetes is routine, and should be the case for depression.” This quote shows the importance that screening for postpartum depression should be. It compares it to high blood pressure and diabetes test which lets us see the importance it can have in a woman’s life.

          Postpartum depression is a condition that affects mothers after giving birth. This condition can be cured with different methods. At times, it can get out of hand which is why it is important that we help women address the problem as soon as possible by helping them identify symptoms. Some of these methods include medication and others include a healthier way. Of course, not everyone believes that prescription medication can cure postpartum depression. Perhaps, Tom Cruise’s idea about addressing postpartum depression with vitamins and exercise is a good treatment for women. He suggests that women care for themselves with “vitamins and exercise.” “The use of antidepressants might help cope with postpartum depression, but it might not cure it,” he says. If a woman takes care of herself before and after pregnancy with these vitamins and doing exercise, she can avoid symptoms of postpartum depression. This condition is caused by hormonal imbalances which can be cured by simply taking vitamins and exercising. However, with the responsibilities that come along with being a parent, many women don’t have time for exercise. Always being shorthanded on time leads women into taking a fast-acting solution to the problem which in this case are antidepressants to treat their postpartum depression. Antidepressants are fast acting medication that will quickly help women get rid of emotions that are causing negative effects towards raising their babies. In conclusion, every woman has the right to choose which treatment is best for them to help treat their postpartum depression. Some of these women might choose a healthier way to treat their condition which might take some time, but others might choose the one that will show effectiveness at a faster pace. Whichever method they choose will allow them to treat and cure postpartum depression.

      As a mother of two children I can say that I felt those baby blues and never said anything about it. I am thankful that it didn't go any further into postpartum depression because many of us mothers feel depressed and are unable to say anything Postpartum is a condition that needs to be made more aware of there should be more programs, therapy and groups affordable to the low income community because they are the ones that suffer the most from it. It took some courage for Jane to confront the problem she was going through. She tried getting help and everyone just kept saying they were baby blues until, she ended up hurting herself. There is no need for things to get this far if women are just correctly diagnosed in time and not thrown under the bus. According to Jane, her scar has become a battle wound. Something that will be with her for the rest of her life remembering the tough fight she had with postpartum depression. Jane was able to overcome this condition under all circumstances. When you have the right time and the right help overcoming an obstacle will become easier and achievable.

 

Works Cited

Brody, Jane. "PERSONAL HEALTH." New York Times (1923-Current file), Jun 072005, p. 1. ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2018. 

Ciuraru, Carmela. "THE SATURDAY READ; Brooke Shields Frankly Tells of Baby Blues; Down Came the Rain My Journey through Postpartum Depression Brooke Shields Hyperion: 226 Pp., $23.95." Los Angeles Times, May 072005, ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2018.  

Jones, Ayana. "What is Postpartum Depression?" Philadelphia Tribune, Apr 052016, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2018. 

Salazar, Denisse. "How can Latina Mothers Overcome Health Factors that Put their Babies at Risk?" The Sun, Jul 092018, ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2018. 

JENNIFER SCOTT For the, State Journal. "BEYOND THE BABY BLUES; DEPRESSION GRIPS SOME NEW MOMS WHO ARE OVERWHELMED BY THE SUDDEN CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES." Wisconsin State Journal, Oct 052005, p. D1. ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2018. 

Weise, Elizabeth. "On Postpartum Depression." The Desert Sun, Oct 172013, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov. 2018.