You can’t wait to meet your baby and take her/him home. We are not going to make you worried, but there is a change that you will experience some baby blues or Postnatal Depression. It is all normal and lot of help to get, but it might be good to know the signs of what you might experience.

Postnatal Depression (also know as Postpartum Depression or PND) is when a woman or man (!) suffers depression after having a baby. There may be an obvious reason for getting PND, but more often there is not. There are discussions on how common PND is. Some research shows that around 1 in every 10 mothers have PND after having a baby, others show 1 in 4 mothers with PND.

Postnatal Depression (PND) is an illness that is not really understood by mums who experience it, or by their family and friends. PND is often viewed with shame and guilt by the sufferer. Post-natal depression is like most other illnesses, it can happen to anyone, and in time and with support you will get better. But it is important to remember that without treatment it can last for months.

The Baby Blues
PND can sometimes be confused with the Baby Blues. Approximately one in two mothers experience Baby Blues. If you get the Baby Blues, you will feel miserable, weepy, tired and tense during the first few days after giving birth. This happens together with the hormonal changes that occur when the breast milk starts to come in. With the right support, you should feel better within a few days.

Symptoms of PND
The medical fraternity can’t explain why some new mothers become depressed and others don’t. It can be down to brain chemistry or how you react to the hormonal changes happening in your body. But, also, sometimes things you have to face in your new everyday life just get on top of you, like loneliness, anxiety for the baby etc.

PND generally develops when your baby is between four and six weeks old, but it can starts months after she or he was born. You may have been really enjoying looking after your baby and then find melancholy and depression sneak up on you. The signs and symptoms are different for every mum, but you are likely to feel:

• Exhausted, tired, irritable and miserable
• A sense of hopelessness and feel unable to cope with everyday life
• Guilty
• Weepy
• Lonely with your thoughts and feelings
• Anxious and nervous
• Trapped

Remember that all mums have at least one of the feelings listed above some of the time. If you’re plagued by them and you don’t get better with time, you could have PND. An example is that most new mothers worry about their baby’s health, but PND can make this overwhelming.

How is PND treated?
Mild PND can be helped by increased support from family and friends, more severe PND will need help from your medical provider, or, in some cases, mental health professionals. PND can be treated with talking therapies and/or antidepressants.

You can also help yourself with trying to get lots of rest, eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, be physically active, treat yourself well and socialize with friends and other mums. Remember: you need to take care of yourself to take care of your baby. Also tell your partner, friends and family how you feel, it might be difficult for them to understand if you don’t explain.

The more support you have during your pregnancy, the stronger and more confident you are likely to feel when you have your baby. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!!

More from Pregnant in Dubai:

• Postnatal support in Dubai
• Mother groups in Dubai

Article courtesy of Pregnant in Dubai