With maternal mental health more and more in the media and gaining recognition as an issue needing to be addressed. There is still a lack of screening at pediatricians and OB-GYN offices and options for moms can be limited in regards to treatment if they are struggling with mental health issues, specific to the prenatal to postpartum period.
Stigma is still present and moms are hesitant to start therapy due to barriers to access of services or for a multitude of other reasons; transportation, finances, or they don’t think it is that bad.
But screening, early intervention, and prevention can make a difference significant in treating postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms earlier so that moms can function and feel like they have the knowledge and skills needed to feel happier, healthier, and confident in themselves as a parent during this major life transition.
Onset of postpartum depression (PPD)
Postpartum depression can start during pregnancy or within days after giving birth all the way up to a year postpartum. Sometimes this can be overlooked, especially from healthcare providers who are not screening women during prenatal or postpartum follow up visits or at the pediatrician’s office. Screening during these visits is so important and I cannot stress this enough. It allows your doctor to determine what referrals to provide you for additional support and services. This can range from postpartum groups, parenting classes, mental health services, or higher level of care if needed.
Advocating for yourself
If your healthcare providers are not screening for postpartum depression during your visits I would ask them “why not?” By asking this question you are not only advocating for yourself, but for other women as well.
Healthcare providers may say they don’t really see much of it in their patients. But if they aren’t asking the questions, a lot of times people aren’t going to share the information openly.
When we think about this it is really about prevention, better to get the resources and information you need to be successful as a mother and parent sooner before symptoms worsen.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
Here is the link to a screening tool that is evidenced based and validated for use for postpartum women. It is specific to postpartum women because some of the somatic symptoms of depression like fatigue, change in appetite, sleep problems come with being pregnant and postpartum and it hard to decipher between the two, this is why screening specifically for postpartum is so important and why healthcare providers often miss depression during the postpartum period.
You can complete the screening tool and it will give you results instantly. You can take this to your next doctor’s visit and discuss it with them. If you live in the state of Colorado, you can contact me and we can discuss your results and your options.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale (EPDS)
https://psychology-tools.com/test/epds
5 Signs of Postpartum Depression
Shame and guilt
New moms can have opposing feelings after having a baby and it can be confusing and lead to feeling guilty or shameful for the thoughts or feelings they may be having. For instance, feeling like what you are going through as a new mom is “not fair”, having this big sense of responsibility for taking care of a newborn that can feel too overwhelming. Also this feeling of loving your baby and wanting to run away.
2. Inadequacy
Unmanaged these feelings of shame and guilt can lead to feeling inadequate and decrease a mom’s self esteem and confidence in her abilities as a mother. We all have expectations for how we want to be as a parent and if we feel we are not living up to them this can lead to us feeling like a “bad mom”.
3. Isolating and shutting down
Moms may isolate themselves more. Maybe fearful of being judged by others for how they think and feel or afraid people won’t understand what they are going through. Maybe having scary thoughts that they may do something harmful to their baby and don’t know how to stop the intrusive thoughts, leading to more isolation and shame. Maybe finding it hard to put into words how they are feeling. Sharing your story can be powerful and help you move towards feeling better.
4. Anxiety, irritability, social and marital distress
Maybe emotions are all over the place. Feeling rageful or just wanting to scream (or really screaming) and then feeling guilty for this. When a spouse or significant other is depressed this has an impact on the relationship. Couples therapy can be a good option in addition to individual therapy to help with problem solving and decrease negative interactions.
5. Life stressors
Negative life events can impact our ability to problem solve and increase distressing feelings as we try to manage everything going on. These stressors could be pregnancy loss, traumatic birth, or interpersonal loss (relationship ending with significant other or problems with extended family)etc.
Why prevention is important
Prevention and starting treatment to address these symptoms early can greatly impact your well being in a positive way and help you to identify helpful skills to use to decrease distressing thoughts and feelings.
It’s also helpful for your children. Children of depressed parents have an increased likelihood of developing depression themselves. Also if exposed to mother’s depression during pregnancy, children are at higher risk of cognitive deficits, mental health issues, and earlier onset of depression.
Reach out if you think you may be struggling with postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety. I would be glad to discuss treatment options with you.
You can call me at 970-795-2100 or email me alison@hartmantherapyco.com if you would like to talk further. I offer free 15 minute consultations.
with care,
alison
Alison is the owner of Hartman Therapy in Colorado. She offers online counseling helping tired, overwhelmed moms, sad teens, and frustrated parents. Alison has been working with adolescents, families, and adults for the past 7 years helping to build healthy, resilient families. She specializes in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD) and teen girl depression and anxiety.