Marriage Counseling Saved My Marriage

Posted on: 19 September 2022

There is nothing quite as exciting as welcoming a new baby into your life. However, while giving birth to a child is an amazing event, it is also one that brings about a lot of changes to your life. These disruptions combined with hormonal changes can lead to postpartum depression, and counseling can help you learn techniques to cope with these new changes in your life.

What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is a type of depression that often begins shortly after the birth of a baby and can range from mild to severe or even lead to psychosis in rare cases. Postpartum depression can also be experienced by adoptive parents and surrogate mothers. Mild cases may only last a few weeks, but severe cases may linger and become more serious if left untreated.

Mild cases are commonly referred to as the baby blues and present with mild symptoms that usually go away without treatment within a few weeks. Severe postpartum depression may present several weeks or months after the birth of a child and includes symptoms that disrupt your life and will usually require counseling or medication to resolve. Postpartum psychosis is rare and presents with extreme psychological symptoms and requires immediate medical intervention.

What are the symptoms of postpartum depression? 

Frequent crying spells, changes in sleep or appetite, feeling overwhelmed, and mood changes are all signs of postpartum depression. You may feel angry at your baby and then feel guilty for feeling that way. You may notice you are having outbursts of anger for no apparent reason.

When should you seek help for postpartum depression?

If you are having crying spells or feeling blue following the birth of your baby, it is best to talk to a counselor to make sure your depression does not progress. Your counselor can determine if you need medication or continued therapy to treat your postpartum depression. It is always better to err on the side of caution, as postpartum depression can escalate and become troublesome if left untreated.

It is not uncommon to feel guilty for experiencing postpartum depression. You may worry that something is wrong with you or feel like you are a bad mom for having feelings of sadness after your baby is born. However, going to counseling for postpartum depression will help you understand the condition better and offer guidance to help you get your life back on track again.

Contact a local counseling service to learn more.