Are you experiencing post partum depression symptoms?
About 50% of women will experience “the baby blues” after giving birth, which is a mild form of depression that should go away within a few weeks after the delivery.
Women that suffer from “the baby blues” will have the following symptoms:
• Crying frequently without a reason,
• Fatigue,
• Irritability, anxiety and sadness.
Ten to fifteen percent of all women in the USA will suffer from post partum depression symptoms after the birth of a baby. It occurs more commonly after the birth of a first child but can happen after the birth of any child.
These type of post partum depression symptoms are more serious than the previous stage “the baby blues” and can last for months or even years.
Post partum depression symptoms are:
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping excessively,
• Crying frequently without a reason,
• Irritability, anxiety, dissatisfied and sadness,
• Inability to make decisions, confused, difficulty concentrating,
• Feeling that you are losing control,
• Fatigue, low energy,
• Mood swings,
• Afraid of being alone with the baby,
• Feelings of guilt, helplessness, worthlessness and hopeless,
• Thoughts of hurting the baby or leaving the baby
Post partum depression symptoms usually occur days after the delivery of the baby and can last as long as several months.
After the birth, progesterone production and levels drop very suddenly, producing post partum depression symptoms. Post partum depression symptoms are caused by hormonal changes after pregnancy.
Some women, less than one half of one percent, may also suffer from the more serious post partum depression psychosis, which is so severe it includes:
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping excessively,
• Hallucinations, delusions,
• Avoiding the baby, all types of images of hurting the baby or something bad happening to the baby,
• Suicidal thoughts and death thoughts,
• Confusion, inability to make decisions,
• Afraid of being alone with the baby,
• Anxiety attacks, frantic,
• Headaches,
• Hot and cold flashes,
• Dizziness and chest pains,
• Feeling unhappy, sad, anxious, overwhelmed, crying and no interest in most enjoyable activities,
Post partum depression symptoms are triggered by these huge changes in a woman’s hormone levels. During pregnancy and the third trimester, the placenta will be creating up to 300-400 milligrams of progesterone per day, TEN times the usual amount made during ovulation.
Estrogen and progesterone are the two most important hormones during pregnancy. Without it, the uterus would not enlarge for the fetus, the placenta would not form and support the baby, the breasts would not produce milk and the immune system would not be slightly suppressed to prevent it from attacking the baby.
After delivery, the placenta is removed (which was producing large amounts of progesterone) and the new mother has to adjust to the new levels of progesterone which falls to nearly zero after birth… remember that natural progesterone is an antidepressant and improves thyroid function.
Both estrogen and progesterone reach very low levels during the postpartum months. Estrogen gets produced by the ovaries, adrenal glands and body fat (the heavier you are the more estrogen you produce).
Progesterone is produced by the ovaries when ovulation occurs and by the adrenal glands (after delivery the only source of progesterone would be the adrenal glands).
The problem is that the production of estrogen occurs much faster while progesterone remains at a very low level. Estrogen and progesterone regulate vital body functions, are suppose to counterbalance each other, to keep you balanced, healthy and without post partum depression symptoms.
When progesterone no longer balances and opposes estrogen in your body… then estrogen dominates the hormonal environment. Guess what unbalanced estrogen is… TOXIC!
You may experience estrogen dominance symptoms, post partum depression anxiety.
Post partum depression symptoms can be effectively treated by natural progesterone supplementation according to Dr. John R. Lee. It could make postpartum depression a lot easier to deal with.
Some women prefer to use antidepressant medications. For the safety of your baby, it is critical that you make some kind of successful decision to alleviate your postpartum symptoms. It is a fact that the conventional medication will have several side effects but the well-being and safety of your baby is very important. And so is the health of all women!
Books to help you with post partum depression.
Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health (Paperback) by Dean Raffelock, Robert Roundtree, Virginia Hopkins, Melissa Block
Having a baby can and should be one of the most joyful experiences of a woman’s life.
While there are hundreds of books that provide information on how to ensure the development of a healthy baby, few of them dedicate more than a few pages to the nourishment of the mother herself during this physically and emotionally demanding time.
It is rarely discussed, but women commonly experience a wide variety of ailments during the postpartum period, from depression to anxiety, backache, and loss of sex drive.
The best book about pregnancy recovery with natural treatments for women experiencing post partum depressions symptoms.
Covers what to do before pregnancy, how to overcome postpartum problems with diet, exercise, vitamins/supplements, medicinal herbs and conventional medicine.
This Isn’t What I Expected: 
(Paperback) by Karen Kleiman and Valerie Raskin
This book helps understand postpartum depression, emotional issues and treatments.
This book also includes a very valuable chapter on how husbands can help their wives when postpartum depression overcomes them.
Postpartum depression symptoms and post partum depression anxiety related articles
Depression hurts and it is a complex illness!
Overview of depression medications and risks and benefits.
Postpartum depression symptoms and treatments.
Why is progesterone so important during – and after – pregnancy?
Learn what are the signs of depression and depression causes!
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