Postpartum depression can make you feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless. Some new moms worry they will hurt themselves or their babies. Unlike the “baby blues,” postpartum depression does not go away quickly. Very rarely, new moms develop something even more serious. They may stop eating, have trouble sleeping and become frantic or paranoid. Women with this condition usually need to be hospitalized.

The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression. Experiencing depression after childbirth isn’t a character flaw or a weakness. Sometimes it’s simply part of giving birth. If you’re depressed, prompt treatment can help you manage your symptoms — and enjoy your baby.

Depression can be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time. Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe. The degree of depression, which your doctor can determine, influences how you are treated.

Physical changes after childbirth, a dramatic drop in estrogen and progesterone may trigger depression. The hormones produced by your thyroid gland also may drop sharply — which can leave you feeling tired, sluggish and depressed. Changes in your blood volume, blood pressure, immune system and metabolism can lead to fatigue and mood swings.

It’s important to know the difference between normal postpartum emotional changes and ones that signal a need for further support. It’s not just what you’re feeling that indicates something may be amiss, but the frequency, intensity, and duration of those feelings. In other words, many new mothers feel sad and anxious periodically during the first few months after childbirth. But if you’re crying all day for several days in a row or are having panic attacks, contact your doctor or midwife.

Postpartum depression is caused by changes in hormones and can run in families. Women with severe premenstrual syndrome are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression. Mild or moderate depression, either postpartum or otherwise, can be treated with medication or with psychotherapy, or, particularly for women with severe cases, a combination of the two. Women who have postpartum depression love their children but may be convinced that they’re not able to be good mothers.

Postpartum depression can begin at any time within the first three months after delivery. It can seriously threaten both the woman and her baby. Since the mother is seriously ill, she may not be able to care for her baby as she would if she were well. The disease may make it hard for the mother to breastfeed or bond with her baby. For these reasons, postpartum depression is a threat to newborns.

During the postpartum period, up to 85% of women experience some type of mood disturbance. For most women, symptoms are transient and relatively mild (ie, postpartum blues); however, 10-15% of women experience a more disabling and persistent form of mood disturbance (eg, postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis).

Postpartum psychiatric illness was initially conceptualized as a group of disorders specifically linked to pregnancy and childbirth and thus was considered diagnostically distinct from other types of psychiatric illness. More recent evidence suggests that postpartum psychiatric illness is virtually indistinguishable from psychiatric disorders that occur at other times during a woman’s life.

 Teen depression (or adolescent depression) is a surprisingly common mental health disorder. Although it mirrors the symptoms of major depressive episodes, teen depression is often less visible and may go unnoticed by parents and peers. However, it can have serious consequences, leading to negative outcomes like teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, school dropout and even suicide.

Depression among adolescents continues to increase each year. Factors that increase the likelihood of depression include chronic or long-term illness, a history of abuse or neglect, or some sort of recent trauma (like loss of a loved one). Teenage girls are more likely to become depressed than boys.

Symptoms of teenage depression are very similar to those experienced by adults. Loss of interest or reduced pleasure in activities, an irritable mood, changes in appetite, unintentional weight loss or weight gain, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much and difficulty concentrating and making decisions are all associated with teenage depression. Like adult depression, if any of these symptoms persist for longer than two weeks, you should seek medical assistance.

A health care provider will probably begin by ruling out any medical causes for the symptoms that have been observed. They may wish to also screen for substance abuse. Diagnosis of teenage depression would depend on the results of a thorough psychiatric screening and evaluation.

The teen years are usually a period of significant change. Self-identity is changing, sexuality is emerging, and many life-altering decisions are made. Adolescent depression often exists side-by-side with other mental health issues, like eating disorders, substance abuse, disruptive behavior and anxiety. If left untreated, adolescent depression can have tragic, irreversible consequences.

Treatment for teen depression is not quite as clear-cut as major depression in adults. Many of the most successful antidepressant medications for adults have not been as successful in treating teen depression. In fact, some antidepressants have been linked to increased chances of suicide in adolescents.

One of the most promising avenues of treatment for adolescents with depression is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The idea behind CBT is that teen depression results from a distorted view of reality. CBT helps teens change their view of themselves, the world, and their future.

Low moods are very common during the teenage years. Maintaining open communication with adolescents is the best way to help them negotiate these difficult years and has the best chance of preventing a major depressive episode.

Pregnancy is a time of amazing joy. A woman bringing life into the world. You pick out baby furniture, paint the room and begin setting it up. Clothes that always seemed small and darling will be what your child will be wearing. You gain weight slowly and get to see the baby on an ultrasound. However, for many women, the joy of child birth can bring panic attacks too. So how does a pregnant woman deal with panic attacks?

Well, to be honest, the attacks can happen before the woman decides to get pregnant and after she has the baby in post partum depression. It is noted that six percent of women who do develop panic disorder get it after the child is born. However, both points are still being studied on.

There are several stressors in our lives… both positive and negative events. Example: You take a new job…a positive effect. Yet, there are many things that need to be done that causes stress.

Getting pregnant is the same way. It can be positive and joyous but it is one of the most changing life event ever experienced. It can cause panic disorders through the tension and stress that is caused from the anxiety one feels.

When the stress level rises, physical panic reactions ensue. This can make them feel as if they have lost all control of their mind and body. Some even feel that have lost their self-esteem. This is the time when self-esteem should be at its highest level before the baby’s birth.

In the third trimester, the brain produces a chemical called serotonin which produces during fear and worry times. Since the chemical is released, panic attacks can become frequent and be intense.

As the impact of the pregnancy grows, the woman’s ability to cope with family and the impending birth is starting to take a toll on her. For those who have suffered panic attacks during pregnancy, it is not uncommon to feel even more frustration and fear already felt from just being pregnant.

It is imperative that pregnant women and her family understand what goes on when she is suffering with panic disorder. The body is already in extreme distress from the pregnancy and panic attacks further aggravate the issue. She may find she cannot cope, cannot be trusted to make good judgments and is more tired trying to maintain self control. There are some mothers-to-be who suffer self-doubt about being a good mother.

Physical symptoms of a panic attack in pregnancy is much similar to everyone else who gets panic attacks. They are:

* Shortness of breathe
* Racing heartbeats
* Hot flashes
* dizziness

Psychological effects can be described by the following symptoms:

* fear of losing control
* fear of dying
* fear of being inadequate

Should a pregnant woman suffer from panic disorder, it is imperative she speak with her physician. Sometimes a mild prescription can be given to her if the symptoms warrant it. These effects can be quite debilitating but taking responsibility for the treatment plan can help in reducing anxiety.

Relaxation techniques including meditation and yoga are suitable programs for pregnant women. Plus a woman can change her negative thoughts into positive ones and reduce the low self esteem that she feels.

If at all possible, if there are signs of stress or anxiety, family members and the woman should be seen by her doctor.

Everyone feels “blue” at times. Life is full of highs and lows. But people with depression feel sad all of the time. Depression is a real medical illness. Left untreated, it can lead to other mental illnesses or even suicide. Real clinical depression is not something you can just shake off. You can’t talk yourself into feeling better. It can interfere with your daily activities and can hurt the ones close to you. The first step in getting better is to recognize the symptoms and admit that you might have depression. Some people may have only a few of the following symptoms while some may have many.

Persistent sad mood or feeling empty.
Feelings of hopelessness.
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
Loss of interest in favorite hobbies or things you once enjoyed
Loss of interest in sex.
Decreased energy.
Sleep disturbances, either sleeping too much or too little.
Inability to concentrate.
Overeating or not being able to eat.
Restlessness or irritability.
Thoughts of suicide.

Depression may also cause a wide variety of physical symptoms. People with depression often experience digestive disorders such as constipation, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Depressed people may also get frequent headaches and experience back pain. Anxiety attacks may also coincide with depression.

Women experience depression twice as often as men. Hormones can play a huge role in depression. Menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy, post-partum period, miscarriage and menopause all can be contributing factors to depression. Women have additional responsibilities at work and at home and are usually the care giver for the children and sometimes aging parents. These stressors can lead to depression.

Men that are depressed often try to mask it with alcohol or drugs. They rarely admit to being depressed. Often times they will work excessively long hours to hide it. The rate of suicide in depressed men is four times that of women. Men often become angry, irritable and discouraged. They are less likely to seek help and are often harder to diagnose.

There are three major types of depression:

Major Depression.
This is a disabling depression that has a combination of the symptoms listed above. It interferes with one’s ability to eat, sleep, work or enjoy pleasurable activities.

Dysthymia.
This is a less severe type of depression. It is not disabling, but generally keeps one from functioning well or feeling good. People with dysthymia will probably have a least one major depressive episode in their lives.

Bi-Polar Disorder.
It is sometimes referred to as manic-depressive disorder. It is characterized by severe high and severe lows. The cycles may happen rapidly or come on gradually. Left untreated it can worsen to a psychotic state.

If you experience any of the above symptoms and they last for longer than a couple of weeks you should seek medical treatment. There is no shame in admitting that you may have depression. It doesn’t mean you are crazy or weak. People of all ages, race and gender can suffer from depression. With the right interventions, you can enjoy your life once again.

Your belly is huge, your due date has passed, and yet little Susie or Johnny has shown no interest in moving out of his or her cozy home. Your due date is calculated by counting forward 280 days from the start of your last menstrual period. Your due date is only an estimate of when your baby should come and is often off by a number of days. It is very common to deliver past your due date particularly if you are a first time mom. Knowing that it is common provides little comfort when you are the one overdue. Below are our best tips for surviving an overdue pregnancy.

1. Talk to your doctor.

Women have varying opinions on labor and childbirth. Some prefer a natural, wait and see approach, while others are very anxious and eagerly interested in induction. In our mother’s generation it was not uncommon to deliver at 42 or even 43 weeks. Presently many doctors will induce at 40 or 41 weeks if your cervix is favorable. If you would prefer the wait and see approach, or your cervix is unfavorable for induction, your doctor or midwife will monitor you and baby closely. You will likely have a non stress test or biophysical profile done once or even twice a week if you are overdue. By 42 weeks your doctor will most likely choose to induce regardless of whether you cervix is favorable or not.

2. Get lots of rest.

The last month of pregnancy is exhausting. You may not be sleeping well due to discomfort and anxiety about your approaching labor. Remember to keep taking your prenatal vitamins and rest as much as you can. Lack of sleep and fatigue can war on your mood. Use a body pillow at night to help you sleep. Take an afternoon nap if you are not sleeping well or just rest with you feet up if sleep is not possible.

3. Finish up preparations for baby.

Now is a good time to finish up those last minute things you need for baby. You may have packed your hospital bag weeks earlier and finished the nursery what seems like ages ago, so here are a few ideas you might not have thought of to keep yourself busy. Install your car seat and have it checked for safety. Many hospitals and insurance companies will do car seat safety checks. Purchase a lullaby CD and set up a rocking chair nearby to rock your baby to sleep. Lastly, if you haven’t already now is a good time to buy your husband or partner to bring to work after baby’s birth. It’s a little old fashioned, but hey some men still do it.

4. Try relaxation and meditation.

If you’ve never done relaxation exercises or meditation this probably sounds a bit corny, but it can’t hurt to try it. Purchase a CD if you don’t have one already with relaxing music or sounds from the rainforest or beach. Try slow deep breaths relaxing your muscles one at a time. Alternatively, you can purchase a CD or video that gives specific instructions on relaxation exercises. Now would also be a good time to practice relaxation and breathing exercises form your child birth class.

5. Try natural labor inducers.

There are a few things you can try to induce labor naturally. Foods such as pineapple and eggplant have been suggested as labor inducers. Cooked in a yummy recipe, it’s certainly worth a shot. Cinnamon tea made from cinnamon sticks steeped in hot water is another thing you can try. Walking is something else you can try. The verdict is still out as to whether walking actually helps, but a little exercise is good for the body and soul regardless of effectiveness in inducing labor. There are many other tips, tricks, and old wives tales you can try naturally induce labor. Check with your doctor or midwife before trying anything to naturally induce labor.

6. Check fetal movements.

It is very important when you are overdue to keep a close eye on fetal movements. There are variations on how to keep track of fetal kick counts, so talk to your doctor about how to track and monitor your baby’s movements. If you notice a decrease or change in your baby’s activity call your doctor.

7. Observe for signs of labor.

For some women keeping track of signs of labor will bring comfort and others it is plain out discouraging. As you pregnancy comes to an end your body will show sings or readiness for labor. Increasing Braxton Hicks contractions, pelvic achiness, backache, and increasing vaginal secretions are all early signs or labor. Early labor symptoms can begin weeks before labor, but all these signs are reassuring that your body is indeed getting ready for birth.

8. Keep busy.

Keeping busy will help keep your mind off of things. Here are a few suggestions to keep yourself busy. Take this time to freeze up a few meals for after baby’s birth. This will allow you a little extra time and rest when baby is home. Make a belly cast of your pregnant tummy to commemorate your pregnancy. Start a scrapbook album for your baby. You can include mementos from your pregnancy and prepare pages for after baby’s birth. Knitting, crocheting, or other hobbies can also be distracting.

9. Ask for help.

If you are having a hard time physically or emotionally ask for support from your family, friends, or health care provider. You may be shouting from the inside, but unless you tell someone they may not know how you feel. If you are having feelings of anxiety or depression talk to your doctor.

10. Do something nice for yourself.

A massage, manicure, or trip to the hair salon are all good ideas to treat yourself at the end of pregnancy. If you can’t convince baby to come out and play, at least mommy should have a good time.

Do you at times feel emotionally disturbed that you just want to keep to yourself and let no one disturb you with anything? Well, this may be a sign of depression. Depression is a health condition that affects your state of mind and eventually make you feel inadequate, gloomy, sad, withdrawn, moody and at times disinterested in most activities that you like undertaking. This condition may be genetically inherited or just occur in an individual due to the influence of multiple genes reacting with environmental factors. In addition to these factors, an existence of bad relationships, lack of achieving goals in life and many other factors may also contribute to this disorder.

Among people, women are prone to depression compared to men. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of hormonal and psychological factors that are unique only to women and not to men hence women having a higher depression rate. When these factors occur,they sometimes affect a part of the brain that usually controls a person’s emotions and moods. For example, during pregnancy, women undergo a lot of hormonal changes and at times this make them to be more aggressive and appear harsh most of the times. The same thing cannot be said about men. The rare occasions of depression cases in men usually occur due to external factors such as office work, financial constraints or a business deal gone bad. For this reason, depression episodes in men seem to exist for a shorter period as compared to women.

On the other hand, children and adolescents can also suffer from depression episodes. In children, the signs may be pretending to be sick, refusal to go to school, always being negative about things and the child always clinging himself to the parent. When left untreated, child depression may be a major cause of other mental disorders in  future. For adolescents, depression occurs at a time of great personal change in their bodies. This is when the young men and women want to have a distinctive identity from their parents, try to cope with peer pressure and are trying to make decisions for their lives for the first time. If adolescent depression is not attended to by parents or professionals, it may result in the teenager being naughty at school or even committing suicide when it comes to the extremes.

Today, there are different types of depression conditions that occur to people around the globe depending on the type of situation the person is in at that moment.

Manic depression, sometimes known as bipolar disorder, is one type of depression that makes you appear moody all the time. Most of the time, the condition takes place when things seem not to go the way you want them to go. The condition makes you not to socialize with others and tend to keep to yourself most of the time. For those who know you, they may refer to you as being rude during the period when you are experiencing this type of depression. This situation may stay with you for a couple of days or weeks before you return to normalcy.

Another type of depression is the postpartum depression. This condition occurs in new mothers who have just given birth. The mothers tend to keep away from their babies and always avoid them whenever they can. The depression is usually onset by hormonal changes that occur after the mother has given birth. Unlike manic depression, this type of depression may take about six months or a few months of professional help for the condition to ultimately 
heal.

The other type of depression is the one termed as Seasonal depression. This type of occurs recursively according to seasonal patterns. For example, during winter seasons, younger people may be seen to be moody most of the times but when spring comes,depression cases go away. This pattern will keep on continuing since the season in which people are mostly found to be depressed will always come.This condition mostly takes place in young people and also in northern climates.

Wangeci Kinyanjui is an expert on research and reporting on Health Matters for years.To get more information on depression visit her site at DEPRESSION

*Wide spread, chronic, severe pain that is worst in the knees, hips, and back. The pain is made worse by movement, sitting, standing, exercise, walking, bending over, crouching down, and on bad days, laying down. The pain is helped by narcotic pain killers and heat but never goes away completely. A normal day my pain is between a 5 and 7 on the pain scale. With drugs, a 3 to 6 (The pain started March 2nd, 2009. At the time I was diagnosed with a bulging disc but I have since been undiagnosed. However the pain mimics that of a bulging disc if that helps.)

*Chronic, debilitating fatigue. This is more recent than the pain.

*Insomnia (I have always slept well before this.)

*Hair loss

*Cold Intolerance

*Clotting disorder (This one is bizarre. I have never had a problem until recently when I started bleeding into a bruise (blood started to pool under the skin at bruise site) and had a nose bleed for 2 hours. Tests show that I have a problem with my clotting time and my Factor 7 is high.)

*Severe abdominal pain (Severe abdominal spasms that bring me to my knees. I have been diagnosed with IBS but I include this as a symptom just in case.)

*Joint stiffness and weakness.

*Numbness, tingling, and weakness in left leg and lower back (this is why they thought I had a bulging disc.)

*Occasional twitching and shaking

*Extreme changes in appetite (sometimes I can’t eat and sometimes I can’t stop.)

*Nausea

*Headaches

*Stomach Ulcer (this might be stress related or some bizarre manifestation or what I have, I don;t know yet.)

*Changes in menstrual cycle even though I am on birth control and have been for 2 years.

*Irritability, anxiety, and depression.

Now here is the really bizarre part. I have been tested for and do not have: Hypothyroidism, Leukemia, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, A factor 7 disease, pregnancy, or anemia. This is where I stump everyone. I test negative for everything! So this is where I need help. If anyone has an idea of 1) What else I could possible have or 2) how it is possible that I could have the above mentioned things and test negative.

Well thanks for your time and help. I really appreciate anything anyone can offer me!

Thanks again.

Accutane is a medication for really bad acne, but has a lot of side effects. They are rare but serious. They consist of deformed pregnancies or stillborn (if you are sexually active, you must take two forms of effective birth control). You could get depression, suicide thoughts, and hallucinations. There is also the chance your hair could curl, your liver could fail, you could lose red or white blood cells, it could stunt your growth if you take it at a young age, you can get very dry skin, and i’m sure there is more. Keep in mind that all these side effects are RARE except the deformed babies and dry skin.

I’ve had two military ‘doctors’ tell me that it doesn’t matter if I was eating gluten or not for the tests and they both refused to retest me again after being back on gluten. I want to be diagnosed if it’s something I really do have!

My normal symptoms when on gluten are: bloating, gas, I’m achy a LOT (in my shoulders, knees), sometimes mild depression, fatigue, it’s hard for me to think some days, when I have to use the restroom I need to get there quick but otherwise my stool is normal.

I want to get diagnosed! I want to start trying to have a baby in a few months and I want to know what kind of diet I’ll need to adhere to during the pregnancy!

please help!
The main thing I want to know is if the lack of gluten in my system would have effected the results of my blood tests.

Becoming a mother is the most beautiful experience for any woman. However this is also accompanied with the negative side of excessive weight gain during the pregnancy period. Losing weight after pregnancy is not possible but yes, it should be done only at a slower pace. It is not wise to diet and thereby deny your baby essential nutrients. You need to aim at eating in a healthy manner and also work at losing weight. You are likely to put on 25-30 pounds during your pregnancy, out of which about 12-14 pounds are lost after delivery. You are still left with a baggage of 12-20 pounds around your body. This feeling of excess mass can make one feel depressed and disappointed.

It is recommended to start losing weight 2-3 months after delivery. You should feel completely ready for the fitness regime with rigorous exercises. It is right to lose only about 1-1.5 pounds per week.

You need to understand that weight loss is not a miracle that will happen overnight. It is likely to take 6 to 12 months to shed off the excess mass. Only hard work, patience and faith will pay off in the right way.

Tips To Follow

Breast Feeding

One of the best ways to lose mass is to breastfeed. Your extra weight that is stored in you is to give you energy for breastfeeding. Breastfeeding takes about 200-400 calories per day. It is good to combine breastfeed with other programs.

Exercise

Exercise in general is good for blood circulation, it gives you an energized feeling, lifts your spirits if you are feeling low etc. It is important to wait for six weeks to start exercising even if you have had a normal delivery. Start from light forms like walking, yoga to moderate intensive forms of exercises. Increase your exercising time gradually as a sudden outburst of energy can tire you out very easily. Start initially by working out at home.

Healthy Diet

There should always be a combination of exercise with dieting. The diet should be wholesome packed with nutrients. This diet will not only aid you with weight loss but also provide your baby with the right food while you breastfeed. Crash diets or starvation can deprive you of the required nutrients and their results though quick and fast will only rebound multifold.

Walking

This is the best form of exercise as it just requires your time and space and is not dependent on any special place or equipment. It is highly practical and you can even take your baby out in the stroller as you go for a walk.

Eat smaller meals frequently throughout the day. This will keep your energy levels up the whole day.

Be Patient

Don’t get disappointed if you find other mothers losing weight faster than you. Have patience, take your time and you will definitely achieve your goal.

Losing pregnancy weight is not impossible. It requires a combination of right planning and advice and following the required tips diligently. This way you will not be far from your goal. So go for it!

i told my husband and he says he thinks things will be fine, and knows all will be well. my husband thinks that its because of everything else going on is why i feel this way. my grannie who is more like my mom has cancer and isn’t doing well with the new treatments (my mom died of cancer 2 months after my 4 yr old was born), the complications, and trouble with some of my other family members really have me down. i talked to my dr (my ob) and was started on zoloft because i didn’t want to feel bad while pregnant, and wanted to try to prevent postpartum depression.

anyone else feel afraid of not loving their 2nd or 3rd, etc child more than the first? or am i just completely nuts?