How Do They Do a Paternity Test on an Unborn Baby

Could you have postpartum depression? Many women experience feelings of sadness, mood swings, crying spells, and stress after having a baby, often due to the dramatic hormonal changes taking place in the body following childbirth. It's normal to experience the "baby blues," as they are commonly known, during this time, but these feelings tend to subside within a week or two. However, for some women, these feelings can be more severe and long-lasting resulting in depression, anxiety, and worry for months or longer. This is known as postpartum depression or major depression with peripartum onset.

Below is a list of questions that relate to life experiences women diagnosed with postpartum depression. Please read each question carefully and indicate whether you have experienced these thoughts or behaviors during pregnancy or in the four weeks following childbirth. You should only answer true if you have been experiencing the symptom nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.

Please keep in mind that this quiz is no substitute for a formal diagnosis. Only a licensed mental health professional or doctor can give a formal diagnosis of postpartum depression.

Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.

I have little interest in or get little pleasure from doing things I once enjoyed.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I feel down and hopeless.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I find it hard to fall and stay asleep OR I want to sleep most of the time.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I have little energy to do even the simplest of tasks.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I feel like a failure as a mother and guilty for not being happy around my baby.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

The thought of harming myself has occurred to me.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I find it difficult to concentrate.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I feel like I'm living in slow motion; I move, speak, react, and think more slowly than I used to.

Always

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I feel anxious and panicky for no good reason.

Always

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

The way I'm feeling makes it difficult to enjoy or get on with my daily life.

Always

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Enter your email below to receive the free Psycom mental health eNewsletter. (We try hard to make it great and we will not bombard your inbox)

Email

Remedy Health Media will use the contact information you provide in this form to be in touch with you to provide updates and marketing. By submitting this request, you consent to receive such communications from us. For more information about how we use personal information please see our privacy policy (https://www.remedyhealthmedia.com/privacy-policy).

What percentage of women get postpartum depression?

The incidence of postpartum depression is 12% among healthy mothers with no previous history of depression, according to a research study.1

"I would say that up to 70% of all women experience postpartum blues, and a smaller percentage experience postpartum depression," says Maureen Whelihan, MD, a gynecologist in Palm Beach County, Florida.

The baby blues are much different. They can occur two or three days after childbirth, when a woman starts to feel anxious, depressed, and upset. The new mom may have trouble eating, sleeping, and making choices, and question whether she can handle caring for a baby. The baby blues gets better within a week or two, and does not require treatment.2

Postpartum depression, on the other hand, is more serious and requires treatment.

What causes postpartum depression?

"Postpartum depression is caused by a combination of factors," says Dr. Maureen Whelihan. "These factors include the significant loss of hormones after the delivery of the placenta."

The levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman's body decrease sharply in the hours following childbirth. These changes in hormone levels can trigger depression in much the same way that smaller changes in hormone levels can trigger mood swings as well as tension before a woman gets her period.2

Factor in some lack of sleep, body image concerns, and maybe an underlying mood disorder, Dr. Whelihan says, and a new mom may begin to feel depressed. Also, she may feel a lack of support at home and anxiety about this new responsibility, and she may be struggling with breastfeeding.

How can you help someone with postpartum depression?

If you are concerned that someone close to you may have postpartum depression, suggest that she see her obstetrician-gynecologist as soon as possible. Tell her that she should not wait until her postpartum checkup.2

"Recognize postpartum depression and normalize it," Dr. Maureen Whelihan says. "Encourage the woman to talk to her OB-GYN and offer to babysit while she goes or go with her."

Above all, offer her a lot of support. "Even four hours of continuous sleep can make things better," she says.

What do you do to treat postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is treatable. Typically, it is treated with antidepressants, medications that can balance the brain chemicals that control moods.

There are various types of antidepressants. It can take three to four weeks of being on an antidepressant before the woman starts to feel better.

Antidepressants can be transferred to the baby during breastfeeding, but the levels found in breast milk are generally quite low. A woman should talk about the potential risks and benefits with her OB-GYN before making a decision about whether to breastfeed.

Talk therapy also is used to treat postpartum depression, and frequently, talk therapy and an antidepressant are used together.2 The mom and a mental health professional may talk about feelings and how to manage them.

Some women may also benefit from a support group. The hospital where a woman gave birth or her doctor may be able to help locate a support group.2

When does it manifest, and why is it unreported?

Postpartum depression can occur up to one year after having a baby, but it most commonly starts about one to three weeks after childbirth.2

Postpartum depression, which can affect people from all cultures, races, ethnicities, and educational and economic backgrounds, is probably much more common than statistics show. The rate of postpartum depression may be at least twice as high as what is reported.3

"Everyone dismisses the symptoms as 'overtired' or 'overwhelmed,'" Dr. Maureen Whelihan says. "Most women are told that everyone has it so they don't speak up."

When should I get help for postpartum depression?

"Women should discuss their feelings with their OB-GYN as soon as they notice any symptoms of fatigue, tearfulness, anxiety," Dr. Maureen Whelihan advises. A woman who isn't sure if she has postpartum depression should not wait to ask her OB-GYN until her six-week checkup.

If you believe that you may have more than just a case of the "baby blues," call your OB-GYN or another health care professional.

Last Updated: Dec 14, 2021

You may also like:

How Do They Do a Paternity Test on an Unborn Baby

Source: https://www.psycom.net/postpartum-depression-test/

Share this post