August 18, 2020
The relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and the inability to breastfeed is bidirectional in nature. To that effect while a woman suffering from postpartum depression may find it unpleasant to breastfeed, not breastfeedingat allwill have an adverse impact and may increase the risks of developing postpartum depression.
Earlier, women facing difficulties in breastfeeding or getting the baby latched found assistance from doulas and lactation consultants. These trained companions provided in-person services to help the new mother find the most comfortable position to breastfeed and bond with the baby.
Even when it came to addressing concerns related to the supply of milk – which more often than not – hasa psychological rather than a physical underpinning cause, doulas and consultants were extremely helpful. However, with the pandemic disrupting the way maternal healthcare is being disbursed and withthe high risk that newborns carry of contracting the deadly virus because of their weak immune system, approachinga doulas in-person is no longerviable.
As a result,many new mothers today suffer in silence. As visits to the gynecologist, postnatal care and self-help groups are curtailed, they feel more isolated than ever before. This is evident from the increase in the intensity of the symptoms most women face. Even medical experts corroborate the fact thatwhile the number of cases of postpartum depression might not have increased, the severity of symptoms witnessed by new mothers has certainly heightened during the current COVID pandemic.
Coping with postpartum depression
In this scenario, it becomes inevitable to reinvent howa new mother copes in case she is facing postpartum anxiety or postpartum depression. Enlisted below are few factors that aggravate the mental health conditions and how it can be addressed.
Seeking help for postpartum depression
An extremely serious mental health condition –postpartumdepression affects nearly 13 percent women who have given birth recently. One of the most telling signs of this condition is a persistent low mood and severe mood swings. This could also be accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, and/or hopelessness and a heightened risk for a comorbid obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Suicidal ideation and thoughts of either causing harm to oneself or the infant are also evident in women with the condition.
Statistics prove that in the United States, only 25 percent new mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants up to the recommended minimum six months of age. Further, every one in seven new mothers experiences postpartum depression. In spite of this, more often than not, the condition goes unreported risking the life of the mother and compromising the quality of life of the infant.
Carefully observing a new mother around you for any symptoms of postpartum depression may help her in seeking the required help from a mental health treatment center. At Invictus Health Group, we partner with reliablemental health treatment centers that offer evidence-based treatment interventions for mental health disorders like depression. Call our 24/7 helpline 866-548-0190 and speak to a trained representative to seek guidance regarding the options available for depression treatment. Alternatively, you can chat online with a representative who would be happy to explain the treatment for depression available at our partner behavioral healthcare centers.