Postpartum Depression: We are in this together

01/10/2014

I was eight months pregnant when my husband and I took a pre natal course. As soon-to-be first time parents, we wanted to be prepared for everything. What to expect when I go into labour. When we should go to the hospital. How to cope with the pain. Types of pain medication. All of the regular questions. We quickly learned, that you can plan for everything, but at the end of it all, the baby will make most of the decisions (and as my daughter arrived 10 days early, I can attest to that). But the one thing I was uneasy about, and I thought I couldn’t prepare for, was the possibility of going through postpartum depression.
During a break out session, the fathers were separated from the mothers and we were to discuss potential concerns after baby had arrived. The first concern on the fathers list was (and I am not kidding you), was sex and what will it look like after baby. (No comment). As for the mothers the first few topics were sleep, routine, finding self again. But very close to the top of the list, was the subject of postpartum depression.
One of the pregnant mothers in our group who hadn’t up to this point been very vocal, confided in the group that she had already been seeing a counsellor about it. Her mother had gone through postpartum depression when she was pregnant with her, so she thought it wise to start early. It was very brave of her to share this with a group of strangers. But even stronger of her to know herself, and be honest enough about her situation to get help before it was too late.
According to PMDA, the perinatal mood disorder awareness website, “postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders affect approximately 15-30% of Moms within the first few years of giving birth. It is believed that this statistic is in fact much higher as so many Moms do not come forward. The majority of these Moms do not get help for a variety of reasons: either they go undiagnosed, are unable to find help, or never come forward because of the stigma attached to PPD (postpartum depression) and PMD (perinatal mood disorders).” The month of January was declared Postpartum depression awareness month in Edmonton back in 2011, and the awareness is continuing to grow.
Across Canada, Mommy Connections is helping PMDA (Perinatal Mood Disorder Awareness Ltd.) in their goal of increasing awareness as well as providing resources for women going through postpartum depression or perinatal mood disorders. It is imperative that mothers, fathers and families are not only educated about it, but have the support they need from the community.
So what are the signs of postpartum depression? According to the Canadian Mental Health Association there are 3 types of PPD:
* Baby Blues: Minor form of PPD; Starts 1-3 days after delivery; Characterized by weeping, irritability, lack of sleep, mood changes and feeling vulnerable. This can last several weeks. It is estimated that between 50-80% of moms experience them.
* Postpartum Depression: This is more debilitating than the ‘blues’; women with this suffer despondency, tearfulness, feelings of inadequacy, guilt, anxiety, irritability and fatigue; physical symptoms include headaches, numbness, chest pain and hyperventilation; A mom with postpartum depression may regard her child with ambivalence, negativity or disinterest; This syndrome is understudied and is under reported; Estimates of its occurrence range from 3% to 20% of births; It can begin anytime between delivery and 6 months post birth.
* Postpartum psychosis: This is relatively rare; Symptoms include extreme confusion, fatigue, agitation, alterations in mood, feelings of hopelessness and shame; Hallucinations and rapid speech or mania; Studies indicate it affects only one in 1000 births.
One of my close friends went through PPD, and she pointed out that it’s easy to spot when the cases are extreme. But for many women, they are blind to it for many reasons. The subtleties are harder to see, but feel just as real. She said she didn’t believe she had it. She just thought she was a bad mother.
As for my prenatal group, the brave mother who found help early, did in fact suffer from PPD but she luckily already had a support group around her. She wasn’t alone either. I was watching the news one night, and saw another mother from our group who had gone public with her story about suffering from PPD. Shortly after that television segment ran, the group got together. She admitted she hadn’t expected to go through it, but started a downward spiral quickly after her daughter was born, and knew she needed help. She now has the support she needs and is doing fantastic.
Personally, I never experienced PPD, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t help. I think it’s up to all of us to reach out a hand of support. So if you know of someone in Calgary, who has a baby under the age of one and might really need the network of support from other mothers please email me. I’d like to sponsor a Mom who may be experiencing PPD. And I know it sounds easier said than done, but I promise total discretion. Take me at my word when I say, all I want to do is help.
I realize it’s not always easy to identify when women are going through PPD, or even for mothers themselves to admit to it. All I can promise is that I will support as best as I can. However I can. I may be a business owner, but my goal for running this program in Calgary is to build our community. With each other. For each other. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this past year as a new mom, it’s that my some of my greatest support has come from other moms I’ve met.
Truly. We can do this together.
For more information on PPD or PMD check out the ‘Perinatal Mood Disorder Awareness Ltd. Website at: http://www.ppda.ca/resources/alberta
The Canadian Mental Health Association is also a great resource:
http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/postpartum-depression/#.Us-CoDknjww
I can be contacted directly at: katherine@mommyconnections.ca
Our Mom & Baby programs start Tuesday January 14th and Wednesday January 15th. However, I can contact me anytime about this.