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Showing posts with the label postpartum depression

UNDERSTANDING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

                                                              What’s wrong with me? I just gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby. I should be happy and proud, but I feel so down and anxious, even angry. Am I a bad mother? Why am I so depressed? As a new mother, you may have experienced feelings like the above. If so, you are not alone. It is estimated that 70 to 80 percent of new mothers have such feelings at times. But what is postpartum depression [PPD], and what causes it? How can PPD be coped with? What support can family members and others give?                                                                      DISORDERS The term “postpartum depression” refers to depressive episodes following childbirth. These can occur after the birth of any child, not just the first. Depressive episodes can even follow a miscarriage or termination of a pregnancy. According to the office on Women’s Health and Human Services, there is a wide range in the severity of