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Postpartum Depression

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Postpartum Depression
Anai Pineda
March 10, 2014

I. Introduction
In this report it is my intention to provide the reader with a better understanding of postpartum depression. To start off, it is necessary to understand that postpartum depression can be divided into three categories: postpartum blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. A comparison of these three disorders can be seen in figure 2. Some of the characteristics of postpartum depression include a change in appetite, feeling unable to love the baby, or even anger towards the baby. Cases of postpartum depression date back as far as the Middle Ages when “women who exhibited melancholy during or after childbirth were thought to be witches or victims of witchcraft (Sparks).” In today’s modern world we have learned to see past outdated beliefs in witchcraft and that is why “there is a growing movement to integrate mental health screening into routine primary care for pregnant and postpartum women and to follow up this screening with treatment or referral and with follow-up care (O’Hara and McCabe).”

II. Disorder and Symptoms Baby blues encompasses the most common symptoms that new mothers may have after the arrival of their baby. These symptoms last only a few days to a couple of weeks and include mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, crying, decreased concentration, and trouble sleeping. Postpartum depression “may appear to be the baby blues at first, but the signs and symptoms are more intense and longer lasting, eventually interfering with your ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks (Mayo Clinic).” The symptoms for postpartum depression include loss of appetite, insomnia, intense irritability or anger, overwhelming fatigue, loss of interest in sex, lack of joy in life, feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy, severe mood swings, difficulty bonding with your

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