What It's Like To Have Postpartum Depression In Rural America

After her daughter’s birth, Jeanne Sager, 34, felt so distraught that she feared leaving the house. “It was June, the weather was gorgeous, but I wouldn’t venture to the front porch,” she says. Sager had postpartum depression, the No. 1 complication of pregnancy that affects almost 20 percent of new mothers. According to Postpartum Support International, women may become depressed at any time during the first year after giving birth. While the exact cause is unknown, stressors, such as hormonal fluctuations, sleep deprivation and lack of social support, may contribute to this mental health disorder. Symptoms include feelings of sadness, anxiety and irritability. Depressed mothers may also have difficulty bonding with their babies, and in severe cases, they may think of harming themselves. Many new mothers are never diagnosed with this childbirth complication, and only 15 percent of women receive treatment. Luckily, Sager knew what symptoms to look for. “I struggled with depression in college, and I knew that it might return once my baby was born,” says Sager, who writes a blog and is an editor at a women’s lifestyle website. At first, Sager coped “well enough” with the new demands of motherhood. But when her daughter began struggling to breastfeed, her mood plummeted. “No matter what I did, we couldn’t get a good latch. I felt like a failure. I would cry in the shower. I felt utterly exhausted,”...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news