Beyond the Blues: A Look at Postpartum Depression

Introduction Lesson four discussed some coping skills mothers can do at home to lessen the severity of PPD symptoms, but what if those techniques do not work? In this lesson, we highlight two other ways a mother can receive the help she needs; medication and therapy. Deciding on which direction is best for you will be up to you and your health care provider. There is no shame in getting yourself mentally healthy. Source: https://www.invitra.com/en/postpartum-depression/postpartum-depression-treatment/ When to Seek Help Sometimes knowing when to seek help can be scary and hard to determine. The Mayo Clinic (2018) put together a list that helps determine when you should contact your healthcare provider: What you’re feeling hasn’t faded after two weeks Your symptoms are getting worse It is hard to care for your baby Everyday tasks are hard to do You have thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby You do not need to have all of these or even more than one in order to contact your physi

Review From Lesson Three At the end of lesson three, a challenge was issued to learn more about the risks for developing postpartum depression (PPD). Please take a minute to reflect on what you found out about your own personal risk factors. Did you already know about some? Were you surprised by others?  This lesson will focus on what you can start doing right now to feel better. Every woman is unique so what works for one mother might not work for another. The best thing that you can do is to start trying because you are worth it. Introduction There are three areas in which women can receive help for their postpartum depression; self-care, medication, and therapy. Medication and therapy will be discussed in the next lesson, but for this one, we will focus on self-care. Self Care According to Wan et al. (2021), the type of food a person eats as well as their BMI have a direct correlation to their depression levels. Eating a large amount of unhealthy food is likely t