After giving birth, a majority of women will experience feelings of sadness, anxiety and irritability. Known as the "baby blues," these emotions are normal and generally last a few weeks. In 10 percent of women, however, these feelings intensify into postpartum depression, a potentially debilitating disorder that can affect your ability to care for yourself and your baby.

Causes of Depression

There is not one precise cause of depression after pregnancy, though experts attribute the illness to a combination of body, lifestyle and emotional changes. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), lack of support from family and friends is a major factor in postpartum depression. Other factors include breastfeeding problems and hormonal changes. "Levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease sharply in the hours after childbirth. This change may trigger depression in the same way that much smaller changes in hormone levels can trigger mood swings and tension before menstrual periods," the ACOG notes.

Symptoms

The first step in diagnosing postpartum depression is to understand the symptoms. Women might begin experiencing symptoms of depression after pregnancy immediately after birth or anytime within the next year. (Resource 1) According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms to watch for include insomnia, loss of appetite, withdrawal from family and friends, disinterest in previously enjoyed activities, lack of mother-baby bonding, extreme fatigue and feelings of shame or guilt. In some cases, new mothers might also have thoughts of harming themselves or their infant. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to talk to your medical practitioner right away.

Diagnosis

To diagnosis postpartum depression, your physician will likely ask you a series of questions or have you fill out a screening questionnaire such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The Edinburgh scale instructs women to choose a response for each question that comes closest to how they have felt over the previous seven days. The doctor will then analyze the responses and make a recommendation based on the results. The physician might recommend psychotherapy or an antidepressant to ease the symptoms. In addition to screening for depression, doctors will commonly test new mothers for hypothyroidism, which mimics many of the symptoms of depression. Hypothyroidism results from an underactive thyroid and is easily managed with medication.

Source:

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Mayo Clinic

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale