Asked by Jordan Taylor on Apr 26, 2024
Verified
Many women experience some level of the blues or depression after pregnancy. How many women experience these feelings? Is this a cultural phenomenon? Why might women experience such feelings?
Post-pregnancy Depression
A mental health condition characterized by feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that can interfere with a new mother's ability to care for herself or her baby after childbirth. Also known as postpartum depression.
- Identify indicators of postpartum depression and understand its effects on maternal health.
Verified Answer
MA
Marco AlegreMay 02, 2024
Final Answer :
According to the textbook, up to 70% of new mothers experience feelings that could be described as the "blues," or in some cases, depression. These feelings do not seem to be a cultural phenomenon as much as a more natural side effect to all of the changes that accompany the birth process, which can be a highly emotionally charged event.
This is true whether the child was a wanted child or not. Mothers who deliver premature babies, for example, report feelings of guilt. Along with this is the psychological impact of thinking about the responsibility of raising a child. Most experts suspect that a combination of psychological thoughts and physical changes (such as the drop in estrogen levels) following pregnancy explain why these feelings are so common. A smaller number of women (one in 5 to 10) experience the more severe state of postpartum depression (PPD) and even fewer (one in 500 to 1,000) experience postpartum mood episodes accompanied by psychotic features.
This is true whether the child was a wanted child or not. Mothers who deliver premature babies, for example, report feelings of guilt. Along with this is the psychological impact of thinking about the responsibility of raising a child. Most experts suspect that a combination of psychological thoughts and physical changes (such as the drop in estrogen levels) following pregnancy explain why these feelings are so common. A smaller number of women (one in 5 to 10) experience the more severe state of postpartum depression (PPD) and even fewer (one in 500 to 1,000) experience postpartum mood episodes accompanied by psychotic features.
Learning Objectives
- Identify indicators of postpartum depression and understand its effects on maternal health.
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