New Mommy PIttsburgh 2023-24 Edition

43 NewMommyPittsburgh.com Dr. Sarah Homitsky, Medical Director of Women’s Behavioral Health at AHN, answers a few questions to provide greater insight into postpartum depression. How many women get postpartum depression? Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders are the number one complication of pregnancy, affecting an estimated 1 in 7 women. More than half the time, a woman starts experiencing symptoms of depression during her pregnancy, which is why universal screening for depression is so important during pregnancy. Screening during pregnancy improves the identification of women with depressive disorders and allows for earlier treatment. How does postpartum depression affect mothers of different ages or ethnicities? Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders can affect any woman, regardless of age, education level, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. With that said, trauma, financial problems, lack of social support, and having a baby with medical problems can increase a mother’s risk for postpartum depression. During pregnancy, what chemical or hormonal changes occur in women that cause postpartum depression? And what chemical changes happen after delivery? Both estrogen and progesterone levels increase during pregnancy. We suspect that the rapid decline in these two hormones that coincides with delivery can trigger postpartum depression in susceptible women. A metabolite of progesterone called allopregnanolone may also play a key role. Allopregnanolone helps to keep our mood positive and keep us calm, so some women may feel restless and sad postpartum because of the abrupt decline in allopregnanolone. What are the common signs of postpartum depression? Some of the signs to look out for are a loss of pleasure or interest in activities, a feeling of sadness most of the time, a change in appetite, feeling guilty about not being a good enough mother, feeling irritable or having a low frustration tolerance, struggling to interact or connect with your baby, isolating yourself from family and friends, or a change in your sleep. Postpartum depression typically lasts longer than two weeks and does not go away without treatment. Why do you think women are hesitant to address their feelings after having a baby? There is a preconceived idea that the postpartum period should be the happiest time in a woman’s life. Therefore, it is easy to understand why women often feel embarrassed or guilty about their sadness, often saying things like, “There must be something wrong with me.” It is our job as medical providers to educate women and families on the fact that it is common Key Facts About Postpartum Depression