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Why Am I Experiencing So Much Sadness After Having My Baby?
After nine months of carrying your baby, you finally deliver it into the world. It should be a joyous and celebratory time, but many women end up feeling sad, or worse, depressed. Why does this happen, and how can you remedy it?
At the office of board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Kullman, he and the team treat women diagnosed with postpartum depression at our offices in White Plains and Pleasant Valley, New York. Sadness following delivery is more common than you think, but that doesn’t mean you have to endure it. Here’s what we have to offer.
What is postpartum depression?
Most new moms experience a case of "baby blues" after childbirth, which typically includes mood swings, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety. After all, your body’s been through a lot. Symptoms usually begin within the first two to three days after delivery and can last up to two weeks.
However, some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression — postpartum depression. It isn’t a character flaw or a weakness; it’s a complication of giving birth. Prompt treatment can help you manage your symptoms and allow you to bond with your little one.
Initially, it can be easy to mistake postpartum depression for the baby blues. However, you’ll find that your symptoms are more intense, have a longer duration, and may ultimately interfere with your ability to take care or yourself and your baby, as well as complete other daily tasks.
Most often, symptoms develop within the first few weeks following delivery, but they may begin while you’re still pregnant or up to a year after your child’s birth.
Postpartum depression symptoms may include:
- Depressed mood or severe mood swings
- Crying too much
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Fear you aren’t a good mother
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Loss of appetite or eating too much
- Inability to sleep or sleeping too much
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Intense irritability and anger
- Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt, or inadequacy
- Reduced ability to think clearly or decisively
- Restlessness
- Severe anxiety and panic attacks
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
If left untreated, postpartum depression can become habitual and lead to complications.
Complications of postpartum depression
Postpartum depression can affect the entire family.
Mothers with untreated postpartum depression are at risk for developing an ongoing depressive disorder. During this time, they may stop breastfeeding, have problems bonding with and caring for their newborn, and be at increased risk of suicide.
Studies also show that new fathers can also experience a kind of postpartum depression. Fathers at the most risk of developing this condition are young and lead an insecure life financially and in relationships. Their struggles have similar effects to maternal postpartum depression.
The children of parents who live with postpartum depression may be more likely to experience emotional and behavioral problems as they grow. They may also exhibit problems with sleeping and eating well, excessive crying, and language developmental delays.
It’s therefore in everyone’s best interest to treat the problem as soon as symptoms begin to show. The earlier the treatment, the more successful it’s likely to be.
Treating postpartum depression
The first line of treatment for those with postpartum depression is the same as for those with major depressive disorder — antidepressants, often the SSRIs, SNRIs, or tricyclics. However, up to 30% of people given conventional antidepressants don’t respond to them, leaving a large treatment gap.
Dr. Kullman, though, offers his patients IV ketamine infusions. Because ketamine acts as an antidepressant through a different mechanism than traditional antidepressants, it may be able to help treatment-resistant cases. It can also be used as the primary medication for depression, including postpartum depression.
Researchers believe that ketamine interacts with the NMDA receptors in the brain and, when docked, it increases the amount of the neurotransmitter glutamate, which has a known role in improving mood.
Ketamine also facilitates the development of new neurons and new connections between neurons, allowing for the rebuilding of damaged or lost connections and for ketamine to have an antidepressant effect. The process is called synaptogenesis, and it can positively affect mood, thought patterns, and cognition.
Most patients with postpartum depression experience significant symptom relief after just two infusions.
Having a baby should be a joyful experience, so if you find yourself battling postpartum depression, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kullman to learn how he can treat it. Call our office at 914-465-2882, or visit our website for more options.