Apr 2, 2009

News: Mothers of multiples have higher risk of PPD

Although the information came out on April 1st in Pediatrics, unfortunately it is no joke. Mother of multiples often have a higher risk of postpartum depression than single births. The scariest part of this study is that only 27% of mothers of multiples sought treatment for their depression.

How to identify postpartum depression? From the Mayo Clinic:

Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression may appear to be the baby blues at first — but the signs and symptoms are more intense and longer lasting, eventually interfering with your ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks. Signs and symptoms of postpartum depression may include:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Insomnia
  • Intense irritability and anger
  • Overwhelming fatigue
  • Loss of interest in sex
  • Lack of joy in life
  • Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy
  • Severe mood swings
  • Difficulty bonding with the baby
  • Withdrawal from family and friends
  • Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby

So please seek help if you think that you are experiencing postpartum depression. Talk to your doctor. I use the general rule of thumb - if you have more days when you cry than when you don't, you need to seek help. From my experience, waiting doesn't make it better and you can't will yourself to get better. The best way to think about it is that there's a glass in your head and that after having all those hormones surging through you, the glass got a bit empty and just needs to be refilled.  

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