Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021 - 26

26
H
H
H
How are you feeling? Have you been sleeping
OK? Here, let me get the door for you! During
pregnancy, women get tons of attention from
doctors, loved ones and friends. But for many,
the off erings end when arguably the most
diffi cult time begins: the three or so months
How are you feeling? Have you been sleeping
OK? Here, let me get the door for you!
the off erings end when arguably the most
pregnancy, women get tons of attention from
aſt er birth. In this fourth trimester, as the
period is commonly called, a mother's body
goes through intense hormonal changes. On
top of that, she is seriously sleep-deprived
while learning to provide for a tiny human's
every need. It's no wonder she is vulnerable to
depression and other mental health issues.
We talked to maternal mental health
expert Nancy Byatt, DO, about what women
can expect postpartum (aſt er birth) and
where they can turn for help. Byatt is a
spokeswoman for the American Psychiatric
Association and founder of the Massachusetts
Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms, a
free service that consults with healthcare providers
to promote maternal and child health.
doctors, loved ones and friends. But for many,
diffi cult time begins: the three or so months
so tough for women?
Byatt: Th ere are many reasons, not the least of
which is hormones. Levels (of estrogen and progesterone)
go up and up and up during pregnancy,
and aſt er birth, there's a huge, sudden
drop. Th ere's the pain from delivering-whether
vaginally or by cesarean section-and sheer
exhaustion from giving birth. And then there is
sleep deprivation and the stress of taking care
of a new baby. Having a baby is extraordinarily
challenging, oſt en one of the most challenging
things a woman and her family have ever experienced.
And yet the care for the individual who
just gave birth reduces dramatically.
Why is the fourth trimester
receive postpartum?
Byatt: Historically, all that's involved is one
visit to the obstetrician or midwife at six
weeks postpartum and maybe a check-in at
two weeks postpartum, but that's not consistent.
Of course, a woman's needs don't
go away because she's no longer pregnant.
Aſt er the baby is born, it's a vulnerable
FALL 2021 VIM & VIGOR
What care do women usually
time for women, especially from a mental
health standpoint.
Is It More
Than Baby
Blues?
Postpartum depression
(PPD) should not be
confused with baby
blues. The irritability
and sadness from baby
blues come and go.
But PPD can occur anytime
in the fi rst year
after birth. PPD also
lasts longer than baby
blues and requires
treatment. Find help
at postpartumva.org.
as depression?
Byatt: Up to 80 percent of women experience
what we call the baby blues. Th is is not a psychiatric
illness but rather a temporary mood
disorder. Women with the baby blues experience
mood swings, cry more easily and may
be more emotional than usual. But the baby
blues resolve on their own in a couple of weeks,
which is diff erent from postpartum depression.
Are the baby blues the same
depression?
Byatt: Postpartum depression is the same
as what we call major depression, except
that it's diagnosed in the perinatal period,
which is up to a year aſt er birth. About 1 in
7 women experience postpartum depression.
It's a medical illness that needs to be treated
just as, say, diabetes is.
Someone describing symptoms of depression
oſt en talks about experiencing low mood
What is postpartum
THIS AND PREVIOUS SPREAD: PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES
http://www.postpartumva.org
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2021
