Have you recently had a baby, which you fully expected to be a wonderful experience, but have become
inexplicably despairing? As a young mother, do you find yourself crying and depressed all the time? Well, you are probably suffering from postpartum depression.
When a woman is pregnant, levels of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone increase greatly. But, in the first 24 hours after childbirth, these hormone levels quickly return to normal. Most clinicians think that the big change in hormone levels is what leads to depression. This is much like the way smaller hormone changes can affect a woman’s moods before she get her period (PMS).
Levels of thyroid hormones may also drop after giving birth. And we know low levels of thyroid hormones can cause symptoms of depression.
Other factors that play a role in postpartum depression include: fatigue, becoming overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for a new child, the stress of changes in home and work routines, changes in the marital relationship with unfulfilled expectations (hubby is not helping like you thought he would, or he is upset that you’re too tired to have sex as much as before), an unrealistic need to be a perfect mom, and the lack of free time (both by yourself and with your husband).
Want to know more? Go to www.Depressionoutreach.com