postpartum depression

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is depression after pregnancy and can occur anytime within 12 months of giving birth.

There are numerous symptoms of PPD. Some of the most common symptoms include but are certainly not limited to feeling irritated/angry, overwhelmed, hopeless, helpless, guilt/shame; long periods of crying; loss of appetite, concentration/focus; insomnia, intrusive thoughts, and/or lack of interest in the baby. It is important to understand that not all symptoms must be present in order to be diagnosed with the illness. In fact, an approximate 15% of women will experience PPD following the birth of a child.

PPD is not the baby blues and it is common for additional postpartum mood disorders (PPMD) to accompany PPD. They include Postpartum Anxiety (PPA),Postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (PPOCD), Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PPTSD), and Postpartum Psychosis (PPP).

Postpartum Progess is the most widely-read blog on postpartum depression and other mental illnesses related to childbirth. Beyond Postpartum is a blog where the author, Amber Koter-Puline, shares her experiences with PPMDs from pregnancy to postpartum. She reveals her courage to move forward with a second pregnancy after suffering from the illness with her first. My Postpartum Voice is a must read. Having suffered from PPMDs more than once, Lauren Hale will remind you that you are not alone.

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Original Technorati articles tagged “postpartum depression”

• in Technorati Women
  Postpartum Depression to Bipolar Disorder
  I never thought at the age of 34 I would have to say yes, I am the face of mental illness.
  by pamelagold / on Oct 11, 2011
• in Technorati Women
  Does "The Pill" Cause More Harm Than Good?
  Have you become depressed after starting a new prescription birth control pill?
  by pamelagold / on Dec 12, 2010
• in Technorati Women
  Are You Okay? Postpartum Depression.....
  Is the stress of Postpartum Depression eating you alive? You're not alone.
  by pamelagold / on Nov 19, 2010

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “postpartum depression”

 

• Robin Farr: On Being Ready For Another Child After PPD

  
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  Dear New Mom, Are you one of those moms who have had PPD and wonder how – or if – you could ever have another child? This is for you. When your early path through motherhood includes a detour through a postpartum mood disorder like postpartum depression, the once-simple idea of having more than one [...] The post ...
  1 week ago

• Cristi Comes: On Feeling Sad On Mother’s Day

  
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  Dear you,  Today is Mother’s Day – *the day* to celebrate the miracle of motherhood. I know you’re being bombarded with it as we speak. But for many of us, that miracle is wrought with struggle and pain. Right now, you might not wish to celebrate. You might even want to forget. You might feel [...] The post ...
  1 week ago

• Yael Saar: On How To Be Kind To Yourself During PPD

  
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  Dear new mama, I’m about to share with you the invocation that helped me recover from PPD. An invocation is a declaration of healing intention. You could also call this a poem, a prayer, or a blessing. The name doesn’t matter. It’s the intention that counts. I survived PPD three times. The first time was [...] ...
  1 week ago

• Arja Lytle: On How More Moms Are Struggling Than You Think

  
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  Dear New Mama, I saw you sitting alone at play group the other day.  You looked tired and sad.  I could see you playing with your wee babe, trying to interact and be present, but it was like there was an invisible wall between the two of you.  I also saw you listening to the [...] The post Arja Lytle: On How More ...
  1 week ago

• Ana Clare Rouds: On Realistic Greeting Cards for New Moms

  
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  Dear new mom, When my son was nine days old, I started having intrusive thoughts.  I didn’t know what these thoughts were.  I feared it meant my subconscious had malicious intent.  I was afraid to be alone with my son.  I was afraid I was crossing the line between sanity and insanity, about to fall [...] The ...
  1 week ago

• Miranda Wicker: On The Magic of Self-Care

  
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  Hey there Mama, I’m writing this post right now in the bliss of solitude. I’m sitting at a table in a cafe enjoying a smoothie. Where are my children? At home. With a sitter. Having fun. It took me four years to discover what I’m about to tell you. To really believe it and let [...] The post Miranda Wicker: On ...
  1 week ago

• Welcome to the 5th Annual Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health!

  
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  Happy Mother’s Day 2013! Welcome to our annual Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health. I’m very proud  that we have made it a tradition for five years now to hold up our dear pregnant and new mom friends who may be struggling this Mother’s Day. The community of Postpartum Progress has been through those ...
  1 week ago

• Genetic Variations Found in Mothers with Caregiving Deficits

  
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  Mothers who endured neglect, abuse, or abandonment during childhood seem to have higher levels of depression and more likelihood of perpetuating similar issues with their own children.
  1 week ago

• Unplanned Pregnancy Raises Risk for Postpartum Depression

  
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  A new study published in the medical journal BJOG finds that women with unplanned pregnancies have a risk four times higher than average to suffer from postpartum depression at twelve months postpartum. In the study, conducted by the University of North Carolina, those with unplanned or unintended pregnancy were ...
  1 week ago

• When The Psychologist Has Postpartum Depression

  
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  I’m very happy to welcome guest contributor Jessica Michaelson, PhD, a psychologist who shares her own story of postpartum depression. I’ve been depressed since I was twelve. I didn’t know it then. I just knew that I hated myself with intensity, was plagued by obsessive thoughts about my worthlessness, and found ...
  1 week ago

• Infant cries & mens brains stay "in a resting state": NIH-funded research

  
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  May 7, 2013: Marc Bornstein, at left, head of child and family research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, is working on a series of studies on what he calls "the parenting brain." One set of results, "Gender Differences in Directional Brain Responses to Infant ...
  1 week ago

• How Mom Can Sleep More Now That Baby’s Finally Sleeping

  
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  When my oldest son was a few months old, and I was deep in the midst of sleep-deprivation and “mommy fog”, I remember thinking one particular thought over and over: “If he would sleep through the night just once — just once — then I could finally get a good night’s sleep.” But when he finally did ...
  1 week ago

• PPD Continuing Education in New Jersey This June

  
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  The Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative is hosting a PPD training and postpartum wellness conference in Mount Laurel, New Jersey on June 11th from 8am to 3pm entitled “Maximizing Perinatal Mental Health: Effective Treatment Interventions”. Register here for the event ...
  2 weeks ago

• Research on Infertility and Depression Seeking Participants

  
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  I’m really happy to share with you an exciting new research initiative about infertility treatment and depression that is being conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health.  Called the Symptom Tracking in Assisted Reproductive Technologies study (START study), it will look at ...
  2 weeks ago

• Oh, Great: Having A Baby Can Give You OCD

  
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  Ahh, new motherhood. A joyous time of muted pastels, cooing and cuddling, and soft-focus, vaseline-smeared-lens moments of bonding between baby and mama. Unless you catch the OCD, of course. Then it’s all furious, compulsive hand-washing and maniacally scouring bathroom tile grout at 3am. *record scratch* Yes, ...
  2 weeks ago

• Don’t Ever Give Up! An Interview with Katherine L Wisner, M.D., M.S. American Women In Science Award Recipient

  
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  “Childbirth educators are crucial front-line professionals in providing information to women about their risks for medical complications related to pregnancy and birth, and postpartum depression is a common problem.” – Dr. Katherine L Wisner Katherine L. Wisner , M.D., M.S., has been involved in clinical ...
  2 weeks ago

• Sunday News Round-Up, Conference Then Vacation Edition

  
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  First up, some recent posts from Our Bodies Our Blog: How Can We Help Teen Mothers Avoid and Cope With Postpartum Depression? – discussion of a study that tried to answer that question Study: IUDs Offer Safe Contraception Option for Teens But Rarely Prescribed – analysis of a study looking at IUD use in ...
  3 weeks ago

• stages of grief

  
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  I am in a state of depression. I think it is a bit of relapse of my post partum depression, I think it is a bit of reaction to the cancer scare with Lindsay, and I think some of it is the loss of my dad in July 2011. I think I stuck somewhere in the anger/depression stage(s) of grief. I am angry that he died. Not ...
  3 weeks ago

• April 24, 2013

  
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  Alan and I had a fabulous party this past weekend celebrating 20 years together as a couple (not our 20 year wedding anniversary as a few people thought, dear god, that would have meant I got married in high school!). We had a wonderful time seeing so many friends and family come together. The idea came from my ...
  3 weeks ago

• Get Set for the 5th Annual Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health!

  
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  On Sunday, May 12th, we’ll be celebrating the 5th annual (FIFTH!!!) Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health here at Postpartum Progress. That day we’ll feature 24 letters to new moms, one posted each hour on the hour, from great writers who’ve been there. They know how it feels. They understand the ...
  3 weeks ago

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