• Intense irritability and anger
• Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
• Inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much
• Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
• Restlessness
• Depressed mood or severe mood swings
• Excessive crying
• Difficulty bonding with your baby
• Severe anxiety and panic attacks

These fears generally involve dying, losing control, or going crazy.

Types of PPD

These are the types of Postpartum Depression:

1. Postpartum Blues – This is known as the baby blues. It affects approximately 50% to 85% of women. If you are experiencing the baby blues, you will often have prolonged bouts of crying for no apparent reason, sadness, and anxiety. The condition usually begins in the first week after delivery.
2. Postpartum Anxiety – is another common mood disorder developed after giving birth. 

Signs of Postpartum Anxiety include:

• Persistent fears and worries
• High tension and stress
• Inability to relax

3. Though relatively rare, postpartum psychosis is the most severe form of any postpartum mood disorder. This condition affects approximately 1 in 1,000 women after delivery. 
4. Postpartum Panic Disorder is a mood disorder that involves severe levels of anxiety. It occurs in up to 10% of postpartum women. 

Symptoms of postpartum panic attacks include:

1. Shortness of breath
2. Tightening of the chest
3. Heart palpitations
4. Consistent and excessive worry
5. Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PPTSD) is a unique form of postpartum depression that affects over 9% of postpartum women.

Postpartum PTSD trauma may include:

• Birth complications
• The baby being sent to the NICU
• Unplanned C-sections
• Other injuries of childbirth

Postpartum PTSD symptoms include:

• Reliving the trauma in flashbacks and memories
• Avoiding trauma triggers
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Feeling detached or numb to reality

6. Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (PPOCD) is an anxiety mood disorder and affects roughly 3% to 5% of postpartum women.

Causes of PPD

Postpartum depression is a mental and emotional health condition that affects women after childbirth. Therefore, it is difficult to attribute this condition to one unique cause. Causes of postpartum depression may include:

• Physical changes. They believed that postpartum depression stems from the drastic hormonal changes during and after childbirth.
• Emotional issues. These types of moving situations may include complications faced during childbirth. As well as general feelings of being overwhelmed by new motherhood. In addition to hormonal changes and sleep deprivation, other emotional triggers can cause postpartum depression. In this case, you may feel less attractive, struggle with your sense of identity or feel that you’ve lost control over your life. Any of these issues can contribute to postpartum depression.

These physical and emotional issues may contribute:

• Hormones.
• Lack of sleep.
• Anxiety.
• Self-image.

Risk Factors from Postpartum Depression

These factors may contribute to postpartum depression, including genetics, environmental, emotional, and physical influences.

• Your baby has health problems or other special needs
• You have twins, triplets, or other multiple births
• You had postpartum depression after a previous pregnancy
• The pregnancy was unplanned or unwanted
• Difficulty breast-feeding
• Family members who have had depression or other mood disorders
• Stressful events during the past year, such as pregnancy complications and illness or job loss
• Have a weak support system
• With financial problems
• History of depression, either during pregnancy or at other times
• You have bipolar disorder
• You are having problems in your relationship with your spouse or significant other

Complications of PPD

Postpartum depression that is not treated can weaken your ability to bond with your baby and affect the whole family:

• For mothers. Postpartum depression that is not treated can last for months or longer, even turning into a chronic depressive disorder. 
• For fathers. May be more likely to have depression too when a new mother has depression.
• For children. Children of mothers with untreated postpartum depression are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, like sleeping and eating difficulties, excessive crying, and delays in language development.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [2]. Having a baby between birth and six weeks postpartum, it’s important to be aware of postpartum complications and alert your doctor if you experience any of these:

• Cardiomyopathy and heart disease
• Infection and sepsis
• Excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
• Stroke
• Complications related to substance use disorder
• Cardiomyopathy and heart disease
• Depression and anxiety

Therefore, many postpartum complications can be treated successfully if identified early. 

Prevention of PPD

If you have a history of depression, tell your doctor as soon as you find out you are pregnant or if you plan to become pregnant. 

Firstly, during pregnancy, your doctor can monitor you closely for signs and symptoms of depression. 

Finally, after your baby is born, your doctor may recommend early postpartum screening for signs and symptoms of postpartum depression, thus deciding whether you are a patient for PPD treatment.

Here are some tips that can help prevent or help you cope with postpartum depression:

• Keep in touch with your family and friends
• Foster your relationship with your partner
• Be realistic about your expectations for yourself and your baby
• Follow a sensible diet; avoid alcohol and caffeine
• Keep the lines of communication open with loved ones
• Limit visitors when you first go home
• Ask for help
• Rest when your baby sleeps
• Exercise, take a walk, and get out of the house for a break
• Expect some good days and some bad days
• Maintain a healthy diet and try to get some exercise every day

PPD Treatment & Therapies

We Level Up Treatment Center provides world-class care with round-the-clock medical professionals available to help you cope. All work as a team, giving PPD treatment for successful recovery. Make this your opportunity to reclaim your life. Call today to speak with one of our treatment specialists. Our specialists know what you are going through and will answer any of your questions.

Your call is private and confidential, and there is never any obligation.