Postpartum Depression and Hormonal Imbalances
Pregnancy and childbirth are objectively some of the most life-altering events that a woman can experience in her lifetime. The physical demands of childbearing are enough to change you forever, but the mental load can be equally heavy. Many women have certain expectations about how they’re going to feel once they have given birth. Overwhelmed? Maybe. Overjoyed? Yes! Nobody thinks they are going to have negative feelings (or no feelings at all) about their newborn- and yet, approximately 1 in 7 women in the U.S. find themselves experiencing this unthinkable scenario. Postpartum Depression is something that affects nearly 15% of American mothers, and yet it is often overlooked and misdiagnosed due to societal expectations of what motherhood should look and feel like.
What is Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum Depression is a serious and often debilitating depression that occurs after a woman has given birth. Contrary to popular belief, Postpartum Depression is not the “baby blues”. The transition into motherhood is not easy for any woman, and having mixed or negative emotions can be normal while your body recovers and you settle into your new role as a parent. However, with adequate support, the symptoms of the “blues” should lessen and eventually disappear within a couple of days or weeks after giving birth.
Postpartum Depression, on the other hand, is a mood disorder that affects new mothers for a prolonged period of time, ranging from multiple weeks to months. It impacts one’s ability to bond with their child and function physically, emotionally, and mentally. It can also develop into chronic episodes of depression if left untreated.
Symptoms and Impact on New Mothers
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression are often similar, if not identical, to other depressive disorders, and can consist of feelings of deep sadness, anxiety, guilt, worthlessness, irritability, low-self esteem, lingering anhedonia, increased sensitivity, suicidal ideation, and many others. The difference is that these feelings are hyper-focused around the new role of motherhood, which can lead to additional feelings of resentment and hostility towards the infant that could ultimately impact the mother and child’s long-term
development. PPD also includes physical symptoms such as a loss or increase in appetite, sleep disturbances, brain fog, and fatigue. These symptoms, in addition to the already existing challenges of new parenthood, can leave new mothers exhausted and hopeless.
While it may seem obvious on paper, signs of depression are often missed in new mothers due to the drastic lifestyle changes that a newborn brings. A change in sleeping patterns, interests, cognition, energy levels, moods, and weight do not seem like an immediate red flag for a new mother, so PPD can be difficult to spot from the outside. Additionally, there may be a reluctance from new mothers to admit, even to themselves, that they are having these feelings due to societal pressure to be a “good mother”. Upwards of 50% of new mothers struggling with this disorder don’t ever receive help for their Postpartum Depression.
Contributing/Risk Factors
There are many factors that can make a woman more prone to experience Postpartum Depression, including but not limited to:
Having a personal or family history with depression
Having had previous Postpartum Depressive episodes
Having experienced any complications or trauma during pregnancy or childbirth
Lack of social support or domestic violence
Smoking
Poor eating habits
Lack of sleep
There aren’t any obvious triggers for Postpartum Depression, but there are many contributing factors that vary from person to person. Physical circumstances, hormonal imbalances, social pressures, or emotional issues could all play a part in triggering an episode.
Hormonal Changes After Childbirth
Pregnancy and postpartum are a bit of a circus, hormone-wise. Even in the most fortunate of cases, women’s bodies go through a lot of changes during this time.
Hormones like hCG, estrogen, and progesterone fluctuate drastically during each trimester of pregnancy and then completely change postpartum. The thing most women experience as the “baby blues” is caused by a drastic drop in estrogen and progesterone levels immediately after giving birth. Simultaneously, other hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin increase, leaving the body in a temporarily dysregulated hormonal state. It can take a little bit of time for
these hormones to sort themselves out and arrive at their normal baseline. Only around the 3 month postpartum mark do hormones begin to return to pre-pregnancy levels. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t really end there. Non-pregnancy related hormones are also potentially changing. Cortisol levels may increase due to the significant amount of stress that having a newborn baby can cause. A decrease in the melatonin hormone due to lack of sleep will also impact serotonin levels, causing additional negative effects on a mother’s mood.
Support and Treatment Plans
Postpartum Depression should be identified and addressed as quickly as possible for the sake of the mother, the baby, and their interpersonal relationships with friends and family. Seeking help is not easy, but there are many options to choose from.
Many mothers that wish to breastfeed want a natural approach and solution to treating their PPD symptoms. Psychotherapy in tandem with Hormonal therapy can be an effective solution.
Hormonal Therapy is a holistic approach that addresses the root cause of a dysregulated body and nervous system. Since Postpartum Depression is linked to the dramatic estrogen withdrawal after labour and is considered to be a disorder of hormone-related mood dysregulation, treatment with synthetic forms of naturally occurring hormones can help to alleviate symptoms.
At True Health Care, our treatments are individually tailored to every single one of our clients. Our first step is to run comprehensive lab tests to identify any hormonal imbalances, and subsequently create a personalized chart and treatment plan. The treatments can include Hormone Replacement Therapy, Bioidentical Hormone Therapy, targeted supplements, nutrition, and lifestyle adjustments, depending on your wishes and our recommendations. Ongoing monitoring and fine-tuning of your treatment is the key to arriving at the root cause of the problem and addressing it appropriately.
True Health Care Hormonal Therapy
If you’re struggling with Postpartum Depression, you are not alone. Our mission at True Health Care is to help you feel like yourself again. Book a free consultation with us today and see if Hormonal Therapy could be what you need.
