Identifying and seeking help for postpartum depression

Baby blues are common for women after having a baby. The significant life changes, exhaustion and new responsibilities often cause women to feel anxious, frustrated, sad and tired. These feelings typically go away within seven to 10 days. However, when the feelings last longer and begin to affect your daily life, you may have postpartum depression. It is important to reach out to our San Antonio OBGYNs immediately because the sooner you can get help, the more quickly you can begin to feel better.

Symptoms

It is common to experience ups and downs in your mood after having a baby, but when these symptoms persist, they are indications of postpartum depression.

Sadness
Anxiousness and worry
Irritability
Feeling useless or worthless
Low energy
No interest in outside activities
Lack of concentration and memory problems
Thoughts of harming yourself or others

What causes postpartum depression?

The birth of a new baby can be a stressful time that brings many significant life changes. These changes are enough to cause depression in some women. There are several other factors that may also increase the risk of depression after having a baby.

History of depression
Additional life events (e.g. job change, moving, relationship stress)
Difficult pregnancy or delivery
Preterm delivery
Challenging home situation (lack of social support, teen pregnancy)

Don’t wait to get help

The key to recovering from depression is seeking help from your physician. Our San Antonio OBGYNs encourage women to reach out as soon as they start experiencing symptoms that go beyond a few days of baby blues and may be postpartum depression.

Your doctor can guide you through the two primary forms of treatment: talk therapy and antidepressants.

Talk therapy is commonly used to treat other types of depression and has proven effective for depression in new mothers. It can be done one-on-one with a therapist or in a group setting. Your OBGYN can provide resources for therapy. Hospitals and community centers often have support groups for new moms experiencing depression.

Antidepressants are medications commonly used to treat forms of depression. Because these medications can be passed through breastmilk to a baby, our San Antonio OBGYNs help patients weigh the potential benefits and risks of antidepressants.

In some cases, a combination of therapy and antidepressants may be recommended.

Postpartum preparation

There’s no way to prevent postpartum depression, but you can put support in place before you deliver your baby to ensure you get through the baby blues with the postpartum help you need.

Tell your OBGYN if you have a history of depression and if you’ve taken or are currently taking antidepressants. You and your doctor can develop a plan for after delivery, should you need additional mental health support.
Have a postpartum plan in place. After delivery, you will be tired and busy with the new baby. Identify people who can help you for those first few weeks after the baby is born with tasks like chores, meal preparation and care for other children.
Identify other resources you might need. If you plan to breastfeed, be prepared with breastfeeding resources such as lactation consultants and support groups. Interview and select a pediatrician for your baby.

Having these essential pieces in place before you give birth will help ease some of the stress after delivery and allow you to focus more on caring for your baby and yourself.

If you think you might be experiencing baby blues or postpartum depression, reach out to Legacy Women’s Health as soon as possible to speak with one of our San Antonio OBGYNs.

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