Midwife Matters

The death of a loved one, loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship are difficult experience for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such stressful situations. Those experiencing trying times often might describe themselves as being “depressed.”

But sadness and depression are not the same. While feelings of sadness will lessen with time, the disorder of depression can continue for months, even years. Patients who have experienced depression note marked differences between normal sadness and the disabling weight of clinical depression.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression–an illness associated with the delivery of a child–is caused by changes in hormones and can run in families. It is distinguished from “baby blues”–an extremely common reaction following delivery–both by its duration and the debilitating effects of indifference the mother has about herself and her children. About one in 10 new mothers experience some degree of postpartum depression; women with severe premenstrual syndrome are more likely to suffer from it.

Women with postpartum depression love their children but may be convinced that they are not able to be good mothers. For more information on postpartum depression, please click here to visit Post Partum Depression Resources.