Hope turned 5 months on October 10th! I can't believe HOW fast the last 5 months have flown by! I love her like crazy! She is SO easy and laid back and such a joy to have. I am so happy we decided to have her :) After having her I began to realize that my energy was just not bouncing back like it had with the other two. I have been so beyond normal Mommy tiredness. My hair has been falling out like crazy (much beyond what is normal post partum), my joints have been aching. I kept attributing it to trying to adjust to a 3rd kid in the house. That was until I began to notice things like, walking out the room and not remembering why ALL THE TIME! I was feeling confused and very very scattered all the time. I was finding myself paranoid constantly that I would leave Hope somewhere to the point I began to obsessively check on her all the time. Then I began to need to check on her at night too. One of my greatest skills has been my ability to multi-task, but that became non-existent. By the end of the day I could NOT get up off the couch. Then it began to be earlier and earlier in the day. I was an emotional wreck! I just knew that something was wrong. I had just had a baby so you get 3 guesses everyone's answer to me, "oh you must have postpartum depression". I called my Dr who is wonderful and right away she ordered some tests for me to see what was going on. It turns out I am having a thyroid issue that is a postpartum issue (but NOT postpartum depression). That got me to thinking about how often do we as women get our issues blown off due to "common issues"? So I did some research and would like to share with you what I learned! For now I want to touch on the difference between baby blue and postpartum depression (ppd).
Most mom's get a little case of the baby blues when they have a child. It is a MAJOR life event and a MAJOR change on your body! Your hormones are all out of control, you arent sleeping, you just went through a process that took your body 9 months to prepare for! So what kinds of signs are normal? Here is a list:
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Crying
- Decreased concentration
- Trouble sleeping
It is normal for these to last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Your body is going through a lot of changes and so are your emotions. Whether this is your first baby or you tenth, you need to allow your body to readjust to a whole new life! So when do you need to worry? Here is a list of symptoms of ppd:
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Intense irritability and anger
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Loss of interest in sex
- Lack of joy in life
- Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy
- Severe mood swings
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms at any time (within the first few days, weeks or months) then you need to seek help. Talk to your Dr., spouse, friend, anyone. PPD is not just an emotional illness but can also be a physical one as well. There is never any shame in asking for help!
The media went through a phase making PPD the "fad" illness for a while, and we can all recall a story of a Mom doing something unspeakable and blaming PPD on it. I feel like the media does the medical field a HUGE disservice by doing this. It takes what is a very real struggle for women and puts a stigma on it. It is important if you are a spouse of a woman who recently had a baby that you also watch for these signs. If a woman is experiencing PPD she will likely not feel strong enough to seek help and its important you are strong enough for her!
It is also important for women to be their own advocates! If you feel like there is something wrong, dont stop looking and asking! I have called my Dr and the specialist I saw multiple times and every time even though I may not like the answer, I have NEVER been made to feel I was bothering them and I have never been treated like I was making anything up! For more information on Postpartum Depression check out this great article by Mayo Clinic!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546
Symptoms were retrieved from the above website.
I went through an intense battle with PPD after Ryan was born, my Doctor was a Saint and he was a big factor in helping ME to realize that is what I had going on. Thankfully HE caught it early, about 3 weeks post partum, my symptoms were way too intense for the baby blues and Mike had to extend his fathers leave, even after 3 weeks off because I couldn't be left alone with Ryan. Brooke Shields released her book shortly after I went through this, we were probably going through it in pretty close time frame, and I found it to be a great comfort and help in realizing I was not any less as a Mommy, in spite of what the pundits like Tom Cruise chose to say LOL http://www.amazon.com/Down-Came-Rain-Postpartum-Depression/dp/1401301894
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