Beyond the Blues: Understanding Postpartum Depression

By Tracy Staley

Across the area, you’ll find groups of moms supporting one another on their journey through and beyond postpartum depression. They meet to share their stories and educate themselves about PPD. Their stories are unique, but they have one thing in common: They’ve all sought help.

Seeking help is a crucial step in battling postpartum depression, a form of clinical depression that affects about 10 percent of women in the year following childbirth.

PPD differs from the typical “baby blues,” which is a short period of heightened emotionalism caused by the sudden fluctuation in hormones following childbirth. About 80% of new mothers experience baby blues. The symptoms—such as feeling weepy, fatigued, and overwhelmed—disappear quickly, within 3 to 14 days. Those who experience actual PPD, however, tend to find those symptoms intensified, multiplied, and lingering.

“Postpartum depression is a very painful and scary experience,” writes Rachael Bowling, founder of A Lighter Shade of Blue, a PPD support group in Cincinnati. “Most women have never experienced anything like this at any other time in their lives.”

The symptoms of postpartum depression are often characterized by intense sadness, significant change in appetite, and difficulty sleeping. You might also feel incapable of bonding with your baby or have thoughts of harming your baby or yourself. “If you have these feelings, you shouldn’t deny it,” says Dr. Judith Burichin, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Atrium Medical Center in Middletown.

Patients with difficult pregnancies, stressful life events, or a history of depression are at higher risk for PPD. Burichin suggests that these patients see their doctor 2 weeks after delivery rather than waiting for the 6-week visit. She adds that any new mom should talk to her doctor if she experiences PPD symptoms longer than 3 weeks or if she ever considers hurting herself or her baby.

Treatment options include counseling and drug therapy. Support groups run by local hospitals and nonprofits, such as A Lighter Shade of Blue, are also good places to seek community with others who understand.

As the general public understands more about postpartum depression, more women are reaching out for help. “I think people are becoming more aware,” says Burichin, “and it’s less taboo to talk about it.”