Postnatal Depression Treatment

Postnatal Depression is a form of depression that occurs after childbirth. The arrival of a new baby can be absolutely wonderful, but many women struggle with postnatal depression. The fact that everyone seems to be telling them how happy they should feel when they can’t shake their sad mood just makes the situation that much worse. “I cried for weeks after my baby was born and nobody warned me that would happen” says a friend of Dr Becky Spelman our clinical director.

If you feel that you might be suffering from postnatal depression, there is absolutely no need to be ashamed, or to resist reaching out for help. As many as one in ten women suffer from the recognised condition, across the whole spectrum of ages and ethnic backgrounds. It usually develops during the first six weeks or so after the baby is born, but can even come on at any time during the first six months.

While it’s completely normal to feel a little overwhelmed at first, if you find that mood swings, irritability, difficulty sleeping and other distressing symptoms persist after the first few weeks of the baby’s life, you might have postnatal depression, especially if you have been bothered by feelings of hopelessness and the inability to enjoy things that usually cheer you up. This is the point at which it might be a good idea to reach out for help, because help is very much available, and there is absolutely no need for you to suffer on your own. Most women with postnatal depression recover very quickly with the right sort of support.