Baby blues – how to deal with it?

Baby blues syndrome – what is it?

Baby blues, or the so-called. Postpartum sadness, occurs in more than 85% of women who have given birth. Most often it appears around 3-5. day of confinement and disappears over the next several days. It is related to a woman’s new role, responsibilities, as well as the fears associated with it. Baby blues pass spontaneously and do not require treatment. And if the symptoms persist longer, it may be postpartum depression, which has a more serious course and consequences. Psychological help is also necessary in her case. Interestingly, according to a British study, giving birth increases the likelihood of emotional problems by 16 times. According to psychiatrists, on the other hand, childbirth and puerperium are open gates to mental disorders.

Causes of baby blues

The causes of both the baby blues and postpartum depression are not fully understood. Some of the possible ones include. hormonal causes related to a decrease in progesterone and changes in the levels of oxytocin, prolactin or endorphins in a woman’s body. In addition, postpartum depression is influenced by postpartum discomforts, pain, and lactation problems such as breastmilk infusion. In addition, women are bothered by constant fatigue and sleeplessness, which also has a very strong impact on lowering their mood. Symptoms are also exacerbated if there is a lack of support from loved ones, and if the pregnancy was unplanned or the woman is very young.

Symptoms of baby blues – what feelings accompany the mother?

During the baby blues a woman feels most often:

• Lowered mood and tearfulness,
• Sadness and depression,
• sleep disorders,
• Irritability and emotional vacillation,
• The inability to feel joy,
• mental tension,
• guilt,
• deterioration of concentration and attention.

In addition, postpartum women suffering from bad emotional state doubt their parenting skills and worry that they won’t be able to handle their new responsibilities. This is because they have a sense of being a bad mom. In addition to mood swings, there may be headaches and a feeling of constant fatigue.

How to survive the baby blues?

For a woman after childbirth, support from loved ones and their presence is extremely important. The help of someone close to you can significantly reduce the symptoms associated with the baby blues. The baby’s daddy, grandparents or friends can relieve the woman’s burden and take care of the baby when the mother wants to rest. Despite the flurry of new responsibilities, a woman should not forget about herself and her own needs, such as rest, walking, regular meals and sleep. Also, it’s a good idea not to be too hard on yourself and give yourself permission to be sad or cry . Many women also find it helpful to talk to other mothers, sharing how they feel and what their concerns are about their new role. Knowing that the baby blues is a normal condition affecting most women after childbirth makes it easier to get through this challenging time.

In addition, during this time, it is advisable to refrain from using social media. Although some profiles on the web candidly depict what motherhood is like, unfortunately, most of them bombard users with an unrealistic view of the process. This, in turn, creates a feeling of helplessness in the newly minted mother and contributes to lowering her self-esteem and self-concept. In addition, it happens that she begins to blame her child, and thoughts such as. “Why is my toddler so problematic?”. It is important to remember that poor time organization and unwillingness to perform many duties at once during the postpartum period is a normal matter that affects most women, and it is not the fault of either the mother or her baby.

Postpartum sadness in men – do men also suffer from baby blues?

Feeling worse after the birth of a child is an ailment mainly attributed to mothers, nevertheless baby blues also occurs in some men, especially young ones. It is assumed to affect about 5-10 percent of men, so their disorders often go unnoticed. The reasons for this phenomenon in fathers lie in the changes taking place against the backdrop of everyday life conditions. This is because they, too, struggle with thoughts about their treatment of the baby, suffer from sleep deficits, feel overworked and feel that their relationship with their partner has deteriorated during the postpartum period. This condition can turn into depression, which already requires professional intervention by a specialist.

Baby blues and postpartum depression

Baby blues affects most women after childbirth and passes spontaneously after about 2 weeks. If the symptoms of this condition persist after this time, then the mother is usually diagnosed with postpartum depression. In the course of this disease, unlike the baby blues, a woman may develop thoughts of resignation and even suicide. It is worth knowing that the doctor, making the diagnosis, must distinguish postpartum depression from other mental disorders, such as, among others. Postpartum psychosis or postpartum hypomania. According to the ICD-10 classification, postpartum depression is most often assigned the code F53 – mental disorders related to puerperium occurring within the first six weeks after delivery, not classified elsewhere. Sometimes a code is assigned to define mood disorders: F30-F39, which depends on how the woman feels.

There is an increased risk of postpartum depression in patients who have a history of depression (including postpartum depression) or other mental illness, have had an unwanted pregnancy, or have struggled with anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Long-lasting disturbing symptoms require consultation with a psychologist. In many cases, psychotherapy is sufficient, but sometimes it is also necessary to include drug treatment. It is extremely important for a young mother and her loved ones to notice worrying symptoms in time and seek help from a specialist. After all, the symptoms associated with postpartum depression can contribute to serious consequences, including spawning one’s own life – as the film “Catching Your Breath,” directed by Amy Koppelman, brilliantly illustrates.

FAQ:

• Baby blues – what is it and when do we have to deal with it?

This ailment occurs shortly after childbirth. Baby blues is a set of symptoms that contribute to the deterioration of a mother’s mood. We are talking about such symptoms as, among others. mood swings, depression or inability to feel joy. Interestingly, not only mothers, but also young fathers suffer from the ailment in question.

• What causes are associated with the baby blues?

The etiology of the baby blues is not fully understood, nevertheless, most of the cause is due to changes in hormone levels, such as estrogen, oxytocin, prolactin or endorphins. In addition, for both men and women, the reason for the development of this condition is the dramatic changes taking place in their lives and intrusive thoughts about parenthood.

• How to deal with the baby blues?

Stress related to the birth of a child is normal and it is worth bearing in mind. At that time, the young mother needs regeneration – when the baby sleeps, she should concern herself primarily with productive rest. It’s also worthwhile for her to talk about her emotions and seek support from loved ones to help take care of her child.