Postpartum depression, psychosis and baby blues: working on mood. Features of the physical and psychological state of a woman after childbirth Wife after childbirth mood swings

Why don't the sleepless nights, the constant screaming, the diaper changes, and the discomfort of breastfeeding make me happy? What am I doing wrong? If I don't love my child, then I'm a bad mother?

Many women feel something similar in the first months of their baby's life. If you tell them that these are typical manifestations of postpartum depression, they will be very surprised.

Indeed, in our society there is an idea of depression as an extremely serious condition. Many believe that this is the lot of the poor and weak - a kind of pale, haggard creature who is so tired of washing diapers that she no longer wants to love her own child, who brought her to this.

Modern prosperous mothers, surrounded by amazing household appliances, using diapers, giving birth in ultra-modern clinics with brilliant care, sometimes do not even suspect that outwardly it may look completely different, and that no one is immune from this condition. For some reason, this issue is bashfully hushed up by modern obstetrics. And if you turn to psychotherapists who, as a rule, deal with extreme manifestations of such a state, then you will hear descriptions that, indeed, are quite rare.

At the same time, increased anxiety, tearfulness, restless behavior, lack of appetite, desire to break out of the four walls, insomnia, as well as the opposite manifestations - lethargy, increased drowsiness, rapid weight gain - occur in every second woman after childbirth. Many of them do not even realize that all these are bells that, with the wrong behavior of others, can lead to a real tragedy.

What happens to a woman after childbirth, which changes the mood of the woman who has given birth so much and that many mistakenly consider it to be simple overwork or incontinence? Where does it come from?

The fact is that the entire reproductive system of a woman is closely related to the work of the endocrine system. Malfunctions and disturbances both in one and in the other systems are immediately reflected in the emotional state of a woman - an example is the famous PMS or menopausal disorders.

Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding - all this significantly affects both systems and greatly affects the mood and emotional state of any woman. After childbirth, the female body undergoes significant changes. After all, the organ of the endocrine system, the placenta, which maintained at the required level not only the hormones of the baby, but also regulated the hormonal balance of the mother, left the female body.

In childbirth, the amount of hormones produced so much exceeds their usual average level that after that the body, as it were, takes revenge, rests. The transitional period, the time for the restoration of all functions and the stabilization of a new state - lactation, lasts 6 weeks. All these 6 weeks, any normal woman is emotionally unstable, vulnerable. Her psyche is in a state of very unstable equilibrium, sometimes referred to as postpartum neurosis, or, more romantically, postpartum blues.

Indeed, a slight sadness, sentimentality, a certain minor note in life are very in tune with this musical style. According to psychologists, about 70% of women who gave birth in a maternity hospital experience the blues. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the processes of establishing lactation are accompanied by periodic releases of prolactin and oxytocin - pituitary hormones on which the psycho-emotional state of a woman directly depends, these hormones are also called hormones of affection and love.

However, both the birth itself and the process of caring for an infant are not only the cause of the onset of postpartum neurosis, but also the most necessary cure for it, if all this happens in accordance with the physiological characteristics of a woman, if she embarks on the path of motherhood without violating any laws. biology. What should help?

childbirth

The first step towards such a "treatment" is natural childbirth. If the birth proceeds without intervention, then the body of the woman in labor releases a large amount of the hormone oxytocin, which speeds up the birth on the one hand and contributes to the processes of forgetting on the other.

It is the high level of her own oxytocin that allows a woman to give birth much faster, while experiencing satisfaction from childbirth and then quickly forgetting about the degree of pain of her feelings in order to immediately switch to the impressions of the birth of her baby. Artificial oxytocin, which is administered to stimulate labor, is also called "peripheral" because it only promotes uterine contractions, but does not affect deeper things - neither memory processes, nor the ability to receive satisfaction.

A woman after stimulated labor (even if they took place with anesthesia) perfectly remembers all the unpleasant moments, and, moreover, her ability to enjoy small stimuli is impaired, she definitely needs stronger impressions. Similar things happen to a woman after a cesarean section or after childbirth, for which she was prepared by artificially creating an appropriate hormonal background.

All these procedures disrupt the formation of their own oxytocin, therefore, they also disrupt the physiological ability of a woman to quickly forget the sensations associated with childbirth and switch.

First watch

The second point that can complicate the further psycho-emotional state of a woman is the incorrectly spent first hours after childbirth. The female body is waiting for a very specific stimulus - to touch a live warm lump, and then attach it to the chest. These first moments of connection are so important and cause such a surge of hormones, and with them emotions, that even women who were going to leave their child in the hospital could no longer refuse him if they got the opportunity to fully experience this moment of the first merger.

Of course, a woman who has impaired ability to quickly forget and switch, or who is tired after surgery, may be very cold to the child at first, but even she is able to show her best maternal feelings if given the opportunity. Attaching a baby to the breast in the first hour after birth brings the mother out of shock, promotes the timely discharge of the placenta, can stop uterine bleeding and do much, much more.

Now in many Moscow maternity hospitals it is declared that after childbirth the child is laid out on the mother’s stomach, but few places really ensure full contact between mother and child throughout the first hour, and, practically, only in one or two during this time they achieve a full-fledged first attachment to the chest.

It also does not take into account the moment that the maximum release of hormones in the first minutes after childbirth occurs if the woman sat down and looked at her child from the “top” position, looking down, and in these minutes the mother only needs to stroke the baby, and not take him on your hands.

Attachment to the breast will be complete only after the child has a search reflex, which occurs 20-30 minutes after birth. Ideally, the first hour is the natural end of childbirth, this is the very reward for which mom tried so hard and waited 9 months, and she should receive confirmation that everything is fine with the help of all her senses - touch, stroke, cuddle, see, sniff, hug, attach to the chest.

A powerful release of her own oxytocin and prolactin gives the first impetus to the all-consuming feeling of motherly love, which will help her overcome all subsequent difficulties.

It has been noticed that after natural childbirth, a kind of anesthesia works in women, and they practically do not worry about their own condition, thinking only about the well-being of the child. On the contrary, if the structure and behavior of the first hour are disturbed and there is no corresponding release of hormones, in this case, the mother is more worried about what and where she hurts than where her child is now.

First month

The third point, the importance of which is underestimated by many women, is help in stabilizing lactation. All the same hormones of the pituitary gland, the hormones of connection and love - prolactin and oxytocin - are involved in the process of milk formation. Timely and frequent attachment of the child to the breast leads not only to good milk production, but also to the speedy stabilization of the mother's psycho-emotional state. With normally established lactation, postpartum neurosis does not manifest itself at all, or it manifests itself very weakly. Otherwise, hormonal imbalances begin to increase and, as a rule, by the second week after childbirth, it becomes already vivid.

An experienced lactation consultant will at first glance distinguish a woman whose condition is within the psychophysiological norm from one whose condition inspires fear. Inability to feed, difficulties with lactation, pain during feeding, lack of breastfeeding - all this disrupts the natural processes of hormone regulation in the female body and inevitably leads to more and more changes in her mood, behavior, and if she has a tendency to this, then to major mental changes.

Sometimes you can't do without the help of a psychologist. However, in most cases, it is enough to get competent support in establishing lactation, in organizing life with a small child, and the situation magically changes sometimes in just 2 weeks.

Unfortunately, modern mothers usually do not have enough experienced and competent assistants, like our great-grandmothers, and our women are not used to seeking help from specialists - a lactation consultant or a psychologist.

What if you don't?

In modern literature for young parents, you can find advice that at these moments the mother needs to take care of herself, hand the child over to grandmothers, do her hair, start visiting, etc. This, of course, works in the sense that it returns a woman a sense of confidence and calmness, but this does not help her in any way to take place as a mother.

In fact, such measures deprive the mother of the most powerful stimulus for recovery - the joy that she will receive when she begins to succeed in what she could not do before. When learning (and any mother after childbirth only learns to understand her baby), success depends on the frequency and continuity of classes. The more the mother is distracted from the child, the less cleverly she will succeed! What could be learned in 1-2 weeks stretches for 2-3 months.

As a result, the mother accumulates a deficit of positive emotions, which she more and more often seeks not in communication with the child. It creates the illusion that everything will be in order if you correctly distribute responsibilities and leave home more often. Thus, a woman restores her hormonal balance not at the expense of the child, but at the expense of her husband, partner, and, accordingly, moves away from the child, entrusting the care of him to a nanny or grandmother. Who benefits from this - judge for yourself.

If the mother has not given up breastfeeding and is in no hurry to shift her responsibilities to others, then she will recover after a while. True, if no one teaches her and does not help, then it takes her to recover from 2 to 6 months, and all this time it can be difficult to communicate with her. The saddest thing is that the first victim here will be the child, who will be primarily directed by negative emotions, often suppressed because of their unseemlyness. And suppressed emotions can lead to serious consequences.

Here is an incident that happened a couple of years ago in a Moscow family. A masseuse came to the house of a young mother with a one-month-old baby. Mommy first watched the process, and then quickly got dressed and, with the words - "Well, you're still talking here, and I'll go for a walk," she left the apartment, leaving the baby in it with a stranger. The masseuse was horrified and began to call her friends to consult what to do, because an hour had already passed, there was nobody in the house, and it was completely incomprehensible what she should do. A couple of hours later, the father of the child returned from work, was very surprised, thanked the girl and began to wait for his wife, but she still did not return. I had to contact the police... She was found a day later and immediately taken to a psychiatric clinic... But nothing foreshadowed such a turn of events.

To protect yourself from such unfortunate consequences, any expectant mother should know that:

Postpartum depression can affect any woman. Therefore, in the first month of a child's life, a monthly course of sedatives will not harm anyone. It can be homeopathic medicines or herbal preparations.

The simplest and most effective way of rehabilitation, if it was not possible to organize natural childbirth, is the organization of natural feeding and training in caring for the baby. If for some reason it is not yet possible to organize, do not hesitate to contact a psychologist. A competent specialist will always help to overcome the difficulties of adapting to a new state.

After childbirth wowdepressionYu often confused with state postpartum blues(“maternal blues”), which is much more common, and almost always with the first child. Although the mother also feels anxiety about the child, sadness and sentimentality, she does not lose contact with the baby, as in the case of postpartum depression. Postpartum blues occurs in 50-80% of new mothers, and depression, only 10-20.

Postpartum depression is manifested, among other things, in sudden changes in mood. Why is this happening? It turns out they are to blame. In the postpartum period, oxytocin and prolactin are released. In addition, the level of sex, thyroid and adrenal hormones fluctuates very much. All this leads to variability of mood - capriciousness. It happens that a woman suddenly starts to cry, a after a moment, bursts into loud laughter.

Postpartum blues or depression?

How is postpartum depression different from the blues? The most common symptoms of postpartum depression include:

sleep and appetite disorders;
lack of joy from contact with the child and a sense of incongruity with the role of the mother, which do not disappear within a few days after childbirth.

In addition, symptoms of depression may appear even months after birth.

The reason for poor psychological well-being after pregnancy may be raging hormones. During childbirth, the mother has a high level, which drops significantly shortly after the birth of the child. Also decreasing. There is an increased secretion of the hormone that promotes the production of breast milk - prolactin. An improvement in emotional state can be expected about 10 days after birth, when hormonal balance is established.

Bad mood after childbirth may be postpartum depression

It is not unusual for a young mother to feel psychologically depressed after giving birth. Bad moods tend to pass quickly. Usually, but not always. Sometimes bad health lasts longer. When this happens, it is worth consulting with a specialist.

When should the "signal light" come on for this? - If the depressed mood does not disappear within two weeks, then you should contact a psychologist or psychiatrist.

How to avoid postpartum depression

Do not try to lose weight suddenly. Decreased sugar levels cause a depressed mood.
Make sure that there is someone in the house who, if necessary, when you feel worse, will take care of you and the child.
Spend pleasant time with your partner. His behavior can be critical to your well-being.
Spend your few spare minutes sleeping.
If you are breastfeeding, download milk from time to time and ask someone else to feed your baby.
If you feel that you cannot cope with your bad emotional state on your own, contact a specialist.

Causes of postpartum depression

Sometimes depression can occur much later, even a year after the birth of the child. It happens that a young mother still feels unattractive. At some point he admits that it is time for this to change. Meanwhile, low self-esteem persists, psychologists say. Problems with attractiveness rest on the need to change the way of life, which during this period is associated with a small child.

Having a baby turns a woman's life upside down. Not every mother can deal with this calmly and easily. Constant waking up at night, changing diapers, feeding, washing - this is only part of the duties of parents. To this is added constant supervision of the child and the fear that he will get sick with something. When all this piles up at the same time, a woman can fall into postpartum depression.

How to overcome postpartum depression

The main thing for a woman who gave birth to a child is the support of loved ones, especially the father of the baby.

Saving a partner is extremely important - psychologists emphasize. The role of a man, of course, cannot be limited to whispering beautiful words in the ear of his beloved. He should complement the woman's childcare. Not all men remember this, and it happens that they leave their father's duties. The repertoire of excuses is unusually rich: headache, dizziness, busyness, fatigue, or simply lack of skills. The partner sometimes does not understand that in this way he greatly contributes to the depression of his soulmate. He should realize this.

Medications for the treatment of postpartum depression

Psychotropic drugs are definitely not recommended for breastfeeding mothers. Pargyline, aspirin, anticancer drugs, radioactive and with narcotic components, and not even all vitamins can seriously harm a child. The basic principle - before taking any medication - it is absolutely always necessary to consult a doctor.

Most women have heard stories about a change in the mood of young mothers immediately after the birth of the baby, which is called "postpartum depression."

Until recently, doctors practically did not study this problem, and pregnant women themselves rarely prepare to face such changes in their own emotional sphere. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine what kind of depression we can talk about when you so want to see your long-awaited baby as soon as possible and plunge into joyful worries about him.

Mood after childbirth: from laughter to tears - one step?

What happens to the psychological state of a woman after the birth of a baby? Usually, childbirth is accompanied by an incomparable feeling of euphoria, emotional uplift, when it seems that the world is beautiful, and there are enough forces to move mountains. This feeling of relief and satisfaction can last from a few days to a couple of months, but along with it, most young mothers note in themselves a temporary tearfulness and a feeling of disappointment that catches them even in the hospital. In the early days, very often tears can be caused by any trifle or a small problem, and the mood after childbirth changes for no apparent reason. This is due to hormonal changes after childbirth and changes in the way of life and worldview of a woman. Physiological changes in the body of a young mother, as well as the need for the psyche to rebuild and adapt to new circumstances, lead to sharp mood swings from irritability to despondency and depression, from a burst of energy to complete apathy. Such jumps and drops, due to the physical and emotional efforts expended during pregnancy and childbirth, are normal if they pass within a few days.

At the same time, it must be understood that any emotional changes are best kept under observation in order to be able to notice conditions that require help or mandatory intervention. Even postpartum euphoria, accompanied by an energy boost, should be treated with caution, especially when it takes on hypertrophied forms. Outwardly, a young mother may seem absolutely happy, but looking closely at her behavior, it is easy to notice that she is too excited, agitated, overly energetic and sleeps little. Increased energy consumption, lack of proper rest in the first weeks after childbirth can lead to sudden exhaustion and loss of strength and, as a result, a sharp decrease in mood, insecurity, anxiety and anxiety.

Mood after childbirth: treat or ignore?

Mood swings after childbirth can be divided into three groups, differing in the severity of manifestations and the severity of the consequences.

Postpartum sadness, or baby blues. The syndrome of postpartum sadness appears in the first week after childbirth and is accompanied by tearfulness, emotional instability, fatigue and a feeling of despondency. Postpartum sadness usually does not lead to crisis manifestations and disappears after a few weeks on its own, without requiring any treatment. However, this does not mean that the first signs of emotional disturbances should be ignored. In the postpartum period, a woman more than ever needs the help of her family and loved ones to balance her mental state. A woman affected by postpartum depression suffers from increasing sensitivity to external and internal stimuli, depression, apathy and inertia, but if you do not ignore your nervous state, plunging into everyday affairs and forgetting about rest, give yourself the opportunity to discuss the problems that have arisen , these mood changes pass quickly and painlessly.

Wasting and postpartum depression. While most women experience emotional imbalance during the postpartum period, for some, the symptoms are so severe that they make it difficult to carry out daily activities. Postpartum depression can start at any time during the first year of a baby's life, last for several years, and be quite difficult to resolve. A few months after giving birth, a woman may begin to experience headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, and constant chills. These are signs of postpartum exhaustion, which can turn into depression if emotional distress, lack of self-confidence and that she is a good mother join it. The consequences of postpartum depression are quite serious. A woman can stop experiencing the joy of motherhood, lose interest and the ability to enjoy, become helpless in dealing with everyday issues. Signs of depression can also include loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, a gloomy vision of the future, slovenliness, difficulty concentrating, provoking conflict situations in the family, etc. It may seem to others that a young mother is simply sloppy and inexperienced, capricious or feels sorry for herself, In fact, she may be depressed. This condition requires support and help from loved ones, and sometimes advice from specialists.

postpartum psychosis. This is a fairly rare disease that can occur in the first few weeks after childbirth. Postpartum psychosis is a consequence of physical, mental and hormonal overload. It is characterized by a loss of contact with reality, a complete inability to take care of oneself and the child, intense excitement and anxiety. A woman who begins postpartum psychosis may experience severe fear, suffer from insomnia, persecution mania, all sorts of addictions, hallucinations. She may want to do something to herself or the child. This condition requires immediate medical intervention and psychiatric help, and the sooner treatment is started, the greater the chance of a speedy recovery.

Causes of postpartum emotional crisis

It is impossible to single out any universal and clear reasons for the development of postpartum emotional problems, since each woman has a unique set of personal and physiological characteristics. And, of course, everyone's situation is different. However, there are factors that contribute to the occurrence of this condition.

predisposition to depression. It can be either a hereditary feature or an individual one. In any case, if a woman is prone to emotional disturbances or had psychological problems before pregnancy, then she is more likely to experience depression after childbirth.

Hormonal changes after childbirth. Perhaps this reason is considered to be decisive in the development of postpartum emotional disorders. The hormonal background of a young mother changes significantly, and these changes for the most part do not occur smoothly and gradually, but sharply and quickly. The level of hormones that go off scale during pregnancy drops to normal values in a few days, the level of other hormones increases rapidly, and the value of some hormones decreases during childbirth, but rises sharply in the first days after the baby is born. Such changes in the hormonal background cause natural mood swings in women.
Personal conflict. Sometimes depressive reactions can be associated with deep personal problems of a woman. Often a new mother experiences difficulties in accepting her new role, caused by emotional and physical fatigue or unpreparedness for the role of mother. It can be difficult for a woman to come to terms with the fact that the birth of a baby imposes a number of responsibilities and restrictions on her. She begins to realize that her usual way of life is changing dramatically, and this conflict between the new role and the usual demands that she has to give up provokes a feeling of dissatisfaction with life and depression. Difficulty adapting to the role of mother in such a situation is a possible cause of postpartum depression.
Stress. In itself, the birth of a child is a stressful phenomenon, because it is accompanied by great joy and excitement. But, besides this, childbirth and the postpartum period are also a colossal burden for a woman’s body and her psyche: physical fatigue, restless intermittent sleep, worries about the baby, being alone without the support of loved ones ... Each of these factors individually cannot lead to postpartum depression as a response to stress, but taken together they often cause emotional distress. It happens that in a woman’s life, simultaneously with the birth of a child, other stressful situations occur: the loss of loved ones, unplanned or difficult changes in lifestyle (change of work, place of residence), conflicts with a spouse or relatives, etc.

How to help a woman with postpartum depression?

If a woman still had to deal with postpartum emotional changes and she or her relatives notice that negative manifestations only intensify over time and affect the lifestyle of a young mother, the fight against postpartum depression should be started as soon as possible.

The best remedy for defeating this disease is a good rest. A young mother needs to reconsider her views on everyday affairs and limit herself to only those household duties that are really necessary. Basically, the task of the mother during this period is to focus on caring for the child and herself. Therefore, use your baby's bedtime to get enough sleep, then the world will no longer be seen in gloomy colors. Do not neglect the help of your husband, relatives and friends. If you have the opportunity to delegate your responsibilities, do it. As soon as the emotional upset passes, you will again be able to cope with all matters on your own.

Give yourself a regular day off when you could, for example, go shopping, meet a friend, or get a manicure. Try to walk more, and not by rolling a stroller around the house, but by choosing new routes, interesting places. A change of scenery is an indispensable tool in the fight against depression.

Do not withdraw into yourself and do not concentrate on your experiences. Look for support in your environment, tell your loved ones about your condition, experiences, feelings. The ability to express emotions is an important condition for liberation from them, and it will be easier for people around you to understand you if they know what is happening to you. Focus on your most appreciative listener—your baby. Communicate more with him, because it has been proven that mothers who are in close emotional connection with their child are less likely to suffer from depression.

And finally, the most important thing in the fight against serious emotional disorders - do not hesitate to contact specialists if you feel that something is wrong with you. An experienced psychologist will help you understand the causes of the disorder, listen and be able to recommend ways to reduce depression and anxiety, and a psychiatrist, if necessary, will select drug therapy depending on the severity of the condition.

Remember that the health and development of the child depends on the self-perception of a woman in the role of a mother. Therefore, it is so important to pay attention to your psychological state, to respond in time and adequately to the emotional signals given by your own psyche.

How to prevent emotional disorders after childbirth?

It is important to understand that any, even the most severe postpartum depression can be successfully treated. But, despite this, it is much more productive to apply some measures that help prevent emotional swings in the postpartum period.

Prepare well for childbirth and motherhood. Choose a maternity hospital in advance, communicate with the medical staff, prepare for possible emergency situations in childbirth in order to reduce the stress associated with the birth of the baby itself and being in an unfamiliar environment in the maternity hospital. Try to get as much information as possible about caring for a newborn baby so that the adaptation to the new role is easier. It would be useful to attend special courses for expectant mothers.
Properly plan the necessary serious affairs. For example, if you are planning to move, repair, it is better to do this in advance of the birth or postpone these events for several months after the birth of the baby, when you can already join the usual course.
Find the right pediatrician for you in advance. A timely appeal to such a specialist will help a woman significantly reduce excitement and anxiety for her baby and prevent a decrease in her own self-esteem due to a sense of self-doubt as a mother.
Enlist the support of your husband and other loved ones. In the first time after childbirth, you will need to recover and gain strength, so help will be very helpful, and it is better if you find assistants in advance and distribute responsibilities between them. This approach will protect you from unnecessary fuss in the postpartum period, help to avoid overwork and nervous tension.
Find hobbies and interests that you can keep after giving birth. Favorite hobbies, communication with friends - all those activities that would not have to be abandoned after the birth of a baby will help to avoid the feeling of a collapsed world and social isolation.

The closer the birth was, the more Oksana felt anxious. She talked about her fear to her mother and husband, and Oksana was afraid of almost everything: not being able to get to the hospital in time, experiencing severe pain, that the hospital staff would be rude to her, that “something will go wrong,” that she would not be able to properly care for child. All the beliefs that everything will be fine did not lead to anything: Oksana's stress increased. Then the mother enrolled Oksana in childbirth preparation courses and convinced her daughter to attend these classes. There, the expectant mother was taught methods of pain relief during childbirth, told about how childbirth goes and how to behave. During the classes, Oksana met other expectant mothers, realized that they were united by many problems, and recharged with confidence. Now the expectation of childbirth no longer caused anxiety and fear.

Will childbirth become stressful for a woman or a natural way to meet a child? Will a young mother after childbirth experience relief and happiness or an influx of negative emotions, largely depends on how psychologically she is ready for childbirth. What is included in the concept of psychological readiness?

bodily readiness. If a woman perceives herself to be healthy enough, and her muscles strong enough to go through childbirth, then her psychological stress is much lower than when a woman knows or believes that her health is not too strong.

cognitive readiness. A woman who has knowledge about how childbirth goes, how you can help yourself (for example, breathing exercises and self-massage), how a woman’s behavior affects the process of childbirth, how doctors can help a woman and a child. And also basic knowledge on how to care for a newborn baby is important.

Emotional readiness. It consists in the fact that a woman perceives herself as ready for childbirth, has a positive attitude towards the method of delivery that is recommended in her case. Readiness is formed if the level of anxiety and tension is not too high,

Motivational readiness. A woman wants to give birth, to experience this unknown experience - in this case, her readiness is at a good level. If a woman says that she would avoid childbirth if it were possible, then the readiness is not formed enough.

Family readiness. A woman feels much more confident in childbirth and after them if she knows that her relatives are waiting for her and the baby and will be happy to return home, and everything necessary for the child will be prepared.

How can you help yourself develop mental readiness? Read literature (magazines, books) about how childbirth goes. Try not to collect "horror stories", limit the negative that pours out from the pages of Internet sites and from communicating with certain people. Surround yourself with kind people who are willing to lend support and help keep you in good spirits. Be sure to attend childbirth preparation classes. According to the results of studies conducted simultaneously in different cities of Russia, women who have undergone prenatal training behave more correctly in childbirth, maintain emotional stability, and use various methods of self-anaesthesia.

baby blues

Polina gave birth to her long-awaited daughter a few days ago. It would seem that her heart should overflow with joy, but she experiences other feelings. Her mood is not good, she is often annoyed at others (while they are doctors of the maternity hospital and neighbors in the ward). Sometimes she wants to cry uncontrollably. Polina does not understand at all what is happening to her, it seems to her that she is a bad mother, since she is not happy with the child. And she doesn't know if that situation will ever change.

After childbirth, many women experience manifestations of the so-called "sadness of childbirth syndrome" (in American literature it is called "baby blues"). This condition occurs on the 2-3rd day after childbirth and brings with it increased sensitivity, anxiety, tearfulness, depressed mood. There is a physiological reason for this. The fact is that during pregnancy, the body was protected by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which has a calming and balancing effect. The concentration of these hormones for 9 months is 50 times higher than normal! And after childbirth, hormones seem to “go crazy”, their production decreases to normal. In addition, a new hormone, prolactin, which is responsible for the appearance of breast milk, begins to be actively produced. Of course, the mood of a woman these days can be compared to a roller coaster. This condition is temporary, and it usually goes away by itself by the end of the first week after childbirth, when the hormones are balanced.

"Syndrome of sadness in childbirth" affects, according to statistics, up to 85% of all women who have given birth. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that the state of some emotional instability, unmotivated anxiety, discontent, tearfulness is not the consequences of the psyche “injured” during childbirth, but the normal process of its natural recovery.

However, unstable mood, irritability, confusion can persist for several more months. This period in a woman's life is called "period of maternal adaptation." At this time, the young mother learns everything that accompanies the performance of the maternal role, learns to feel more confident in situations where the child cries, “does not comply” with the feeding and sleeping regimen. The whole family system at this time is unstable: the young father and grandparents are also mastering their roles for the first time, which brings tension to the relationship and the psychological well-being of the young mother.

The “maternal adjustment period” is also a necessary stage, although it may be associated with some negative emotions.

Let's help ourselves!

There are several steps you can take to help yourself get through this difficult postpartum period as quickly as possible and negate negative emotions.

Try to be attractive. It is important for a woman to like herself in the mirror. Of course, after giving birth, there is desperately not enough time for this, but you need to allocate at least 10-15 minutes a day for a minimum of the usual procedures. Get yourself a fashionable but easy-to-style haircut, and then you can not spend a lot of time making your hairstyle look beautiful. Buy comfortable, but fashionable clothes for the house and walks with your child.
Learn to understand the child. You need to get used to responding to crying calmly. In the vast majority of cases, crying does not mean any illness. At the moment when the child began to cry, you should think about what he wants. The basic needs of this age are food, closeness to the mother and new sensations, the need to change the diaper.
Communicate more with your child. Talk to your baby as much as possible, even if he is only a few days old. Constantly talking, "cooing" with the child, you yourself calm down and bring your nervous system into balance. And the benefits of such communication for the development of the child's emotional system, his intellect and speech can hardly be overestimated.
Let them help you. Do not refuse help in the first time after childbirth. Even if we are talking about a person with whom you do not have a very good relationship. You can always ask to do some homework or walk with a sleeping baby until you can get some rest.
Take your husband as an ally. It’s not easy for both of you right now: you are getting used to the new roles of dad and mom for yourself. Until you figure out how to do it the "right" way. But each family has its own correctness, although it is not developed so quickly. Talk to each other as much as possible. Talk about what you think is important. Remember that the husband, most likely, sincerely does not understand how exactly such young children are cared for. The more specific your request for help, the more likely it will be well fulfilled.
Lack of communication - no! One of the problems of young mothers is a sharp decrease in the social circle: "child - husband - child - child - child." In order to reduce the lack of communication, try to get acquainted on the street with mothers with strollers just like you. You will have many interesting topics for conversation. Often women remain friends for many years. And don't forget the Internet. This is a wonderful opportunity to communicate at a convenient time for you with people who are in the same life situation. Discussing problems, you will understand that you are not alone in your experiences, and mutual support will give strength. You can meet new people, and when you find out that someone lives nearby, make real friends!

If something went wrong...

Often women after childbirth experience psychological distress if ...

The medical staff behaved incorrectly in relation to the woman giving birth;

The method of delivery was unexpectedly changed (most often, an emergency caesarean section);

It turned out that the baby needed medical attention, and especially in those cases when he was not with his mother, but in a special ward.

If it's about dissatisfaction with staff then you need to concentrate on this issue as little as possible, especially if the birth as a whole went well. Try to think as little as possible and tell others about it. Once again, retelling the “horrors”, you most sadly affect your own mood and emotional stability, which are not too high after childbirth. Therefore, focus on the good.

In the case where it was applied emergency caesarean section, a woman can experience a whole range of negative emotions and need psychological help. Many mothers experience disappointment, bitterness, feel deceived. They may experience inner anger and a desire to change what cannot be changed. Moms may be concerned: will a caesarean section affect the baby in terms of the worst "start in life"? Be sure to remember that the psyche of the child is quite flexible and adaptive. The child survived a caesarean section or a complicated birth, the main thing is your love and willingness to respond to his needs with tenderness and understanding. You have given a child a miracle of life and you can fully take care of him. That's the only thing that really matters!

In a situation where the baby needs medical attention after birth, Mom is under a lot of stress. And at this time, the most important thing, perhaps, is the belief that the baby is strong, that he will definitely cope. The thread between mother and child does not break at the moment of cutting the umbilical cord. It persists for a long time. Therefore, your confidence will definitely give him the strength and desire to fight. That is what matters now. If you want to cry, cry. But as soon as you realize that tears have ceased to be a relief and have begun to take strength, try to stop crying. Find things that you can't do without you. And of course, enlist the support of relatives and friends, and if possible, then a specialist psychologist.

Let's beat depression!

Sometimes (in about 10-15% of cases) women develop true postpartum depression. This disease may not occur immediately, but during the first year after the birth of a child.

The main symptoms of depression:

low mood, feeling of despondency, depression, melancholy;
loss of interest in life, the ability to experience pleasure;
decreased energy, activity, increased fatigue.

Additional symptoms of depression:

difficulty in concentrating, holding attention;
decreased self-esteem, self-doubt, ideas of guilt ("I'm a bad mother!");
a gloomy and pessimistic vision of the future;
sleep disorders;
change in appetite (in any direction);
decreased sexual desire;
health complaints without organic causes (something hurts, but doctors can’t find anything).

Why does postpartum depression occur? Childbirth itself does not cause depression - it is provoked by stress factors. The more of them, the more likely the disease (and depression is precisely the disease). Here are the most basic ones:

poor family support;
severe course of pregnancy and childbirth;
congenital disease in a child;
low socioeconomic status.

Depression begins with intense, almost unbearable anxiety. Tension and anxiety are so strong that a protective mechanism of the psyche comes to “help” - depression! Surprisingly, what many are so afraid of is the protection of the psyche from "burnout". Depression makes emotions dull and fears lessen. In place of anxiety comes some stupor, slowness of movements and reactions, a feeling of heaviness. Sometimes there are "breakthroughs" of irritability, protest, stormy sobs. And most importantly, being depressed, a woman cannot experience pleasure either from communicating with a child, or from food, or from gifts, or from sexual life. At best, something can cause a mean smile in her, but she is not able to laugh contagiously.

It must be remembered that postpartum depression (like any other) is treated by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Depression is treated only with the use of special drugs - antidepressants and psychotherapy. Now there are several groups of antidepressants that are compatible with breastfeeding. Both of these methods must be used at the same time. It is very important to complete the full course of treatment prescribed by the doctor, because. self-reducing the dose or stopping the intake can provoke a new, more severe round of depression. Relief occurs in the second week of taking (do not expect an instant effect after the first pill).

It is important to remember that depression does not go away on its own, but becomes chronic. Know for sure: postpartum depression, like any depression, is completely curable if all the doctor's recommendations are followed.

So, we examined those areas of psychological discomfort that may arise after childbirth. It must be remembered that even before childbirth there is an opportunity to make the process of postpartum adaptation easier by forming a psychological readiness for childbirth. It is important to know that a decrease in mood and instability of emotions after childbirth does not indicate psychological distress and is a natural process. Therefore, it is important to treat it in this way so as not to invent problems that do not exist. If you suspect that psychological problems are more serious (depression), you should immediately consult a doctor.

Most of us have heard stories of women suffering from postpartum depression. Almost all pregnant women and their families fear that this could happen to them. However, only 0.2% of women suffer from severe depression. Approximately 80% of new mothers experience some degree of depression and cry a lot during the first days and weeks, and 10% are somewhere in between: they experience emotional problems for longer, but these problems are not so serious and do not require long-term treatment.

postpartum depression and hormones

Childbirth is accompanied by a feeling of euphoria that cannot be compared with anything else in life. Giving birth is already worth it just to experience this wonderful feeling of relief and relaxation. Mom then enjoys a well-deserved rest and wakes up, refreshed, with the feeling that the world is beautiful.

Temporary tearfulness and a feeling of disappointment often appear in the first days after childbirth, especially while the woman is still in the hospital. Therefore, this state is called the "three-day sadness."

During this period, a number of psychological and hormonal changes occur. There may be pain from postoperative sutures, discomfort due to overcrowded breasts, bloody discharge appears during contraction - everything that the body has created over the past nine months comes out. The abdomen is like an empty bag, and the skin on it looks like crepe paper.

At the same time, the hormones - estrogen, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin, which were needed during pregnancy, are replaced by oxytocin and prolactin, lactation hormones. As a result of hormonal fluctuations after childbirth, a woman can suffer from severe mood swings, from irritability to depression, from excess energy to apathy - just like during the premenstrual period and menopause.

A few days after the birth of our first child, my husband came to my hospital and found me sitting on the floor in tears, among scattered things. And all because I couldn't find a hairbrush in my bag!

Such swings, which are the result of the enormous physical and emotional effort expended during pregnancy and childbirth, normally pass within a few days.

Comment on the article "A woman after childbirth: from a surge of energy to tears - one step"

Depression overtakes every woman after childbirth, so it is necessary to endure it steadfastly because of the hormones, which eventually return to normal. At such a time, you need to ask for help from relatives and friends, and if there is no way to try to find time to relax or read useful articles like this [link-1]

26.06.2016 23:51:25,

All this bypassed me. Fortunately, I just slept with the child for the first month, so I had no time to freak out and be nervous.

10/28/2015 13:20:57, Alla Sankova

Total 2 messages .