‘My identity was just not there’: Tri-State mother discusses the effects of postpartum depression
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Local medical professionals say the emotional and mental strain a new mother goes through mixed with hormonal imbalances can lead to postpartum depression. These symptoms can last up to two years after a woman gives birth and it’s imperative the new mom seeks professional help.
After a woman gives birth to a new child, her world is forever changed, but the world around her doesn’t stop.
“Everybody else in your home and life demands returning to work,” said perinatal nurse practitioner, Elizabeth Johnson. “Statistically we believe 1 in every 5 to 7 women will struggle.”
Some women experience what doctors call postpartum depression, but the diagnosis includes more symptoms than depression and becomes a concern when these symptoms last more than two weeks.
“Postpartum can include symptoms of anxiousness, panic attacks, maybe some obsessive thinking, panic struggles as well as feeling hopeless, sad and even depressed,” said Johnson. “After that two-week period, a woman can feel a sense of doom, they can feel hopeless and disconnected from their baby.”
Jessica Hall is a Tri-State mother of two who didn’t feel right after giving birth. She came home from the hospital and noticed she wasn’t eating.
“In the middle of the night, I would be afraid to go to sleep because I’d be afraid I wouldn’t hear a baby wake up, or I would be afraid that the second I let myself relax he would wake up, and that would be even harder than having just stayed awake,” Hall explains. “So, I would lay there in bed and just have all these crazy loopholes and spirals of all this anxiety.”
Hall says she sought out support from her family and friends.
“My identity was just not there,” said Hall. “(I) Felt like I had nothing of myself really. Every moment was lived for someone else. I didn’t even have control over when I got to sleep and that’s hard. I felt like I was failing both of my kids.”
Johnson says it’s important to acknowledge if there is a problem and do something about it.
“Acknowledging that I’m not ok and I’m not ok with staying not ok. Seek out that treatment team, and when people ask how you’re doing, be honest about it. Don’t feel like it’s something to hide or something to be ashamed of and that you’re not alone.”
Johnson says expectant mothers should educate themselves about postpartum.
“The trend in medicine now is something called preventative health care,” said Dr. Johnson. “We do this with diabetes, we do this with heart attacks and strokes and yes, I believe there are preventative mechanisms for mental health as well.”
Johnson recommends communication with your doctor and those who love you for the best-case scenario for both the expectant mothers and baby.
She also recommends an online source called Postpartum Support International, a place where you can educate yourself and get help.
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