Chances of postnatal depression diminish with less intensive delivery?
According to a few psychologists and a psychiatrist I am Borderline and an chronically depressive. Fair enough, when I found out I was pregnant the psychologist I was seeing at that time warned me that I was more likely to have postnatal depression. That, so far, makes sense.
So, I was worried I’d fall into a postnatal depression and therefore wasn’t looking forward to the birth, but when it turned out to be an emergency c-section I probably wasn’t at all prepared for what would follow.
Sure I’d cried during and after my pregnancy, but when you deal with an alcoholic boyfriend who constantly tells you the baby isn’t his and nothing you say gets through to him (during pregnancy, after our son was born he could see how much he looked like him, thank god), and see your baby losing almost half a kilo in a week because breastfeeding wasn’t going well and none of the nursing staff was willing to feed him at least *something*, I’ve seen people break down for less.
Knowing my psychological history and what I’ve had to deal with, I honestly expected to fall into PND almost immediately, so much to my surprise I’m actually very content with my life. There’s not an inch of depression coming up and at this point it doesn’t seem like I will have depression at all, since those don’t really come up acutely and build up for at least two years noticeably.
So what I am wondering, because I had an emergency c-section and the baby came out quickly it means I’ve had a less intensive delivery. At least it didn’t feel intensive at all. I always imagine had I been in labour for an entire day, with the pain of delivery contractions prior to giving birth, experiencing it longer and intenser, would I have been more likely to get postnatal depression?
Are there statistics for this?
Or would you say that emergency invasive operations like a c-section cause a bigger chance of PND? Or would you say it depends on how the woman deals with either kind of delivery?
It is amazing 
I’m also lucky, I think, that he is such an easy baby. It’s so easy to make out why he’s crying because he only cries for food, when he has cramps or when he wants changing and apart from that he is a very relaxed baby. The first week he did nothing but sleep!
I know other new mothers have much worse to deal with, so I definitely consider myself very lucky!
Tagged with: Chances • Delivery • Depression • diminish • intensive • less • Postnatal
Filed under: Postnatal Depression
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Post natal depression is entirely dependant upon the woman’s hormone levels. A woman my be more exhausted after a prolonged labour but that gets better with enought rest. Think of your hormone level like a giant elastic that took about 10 months to stretch. After the birth those levels begin to get back to their original state – and sometimes they snap back too quickly, causing real swings in mood. Almost every new Mom will have some post natal depression (the baby blues) that can come on within hours or a few months after giving birth. Sometimes it may only last for a few hours. Sometimes, women have it occur off and on a few times in the first 6 weeks or so (that’s the most common). You can tell you’re having it if you just feel really emotional once in a while – more emotional that the situation really calls for. But some women really suffer and have an incredibly hard time climbing out of that dark place. If that happens, there are definitely things your doctor can do.
I’m glad you’re doing so well and thoroughly enjoying being a new Mommy. It’s pretty amazing isn’t it?
Wow, I really found your story so interesting.
I think….and this is just from memory, when I had my children who are now 14 & 18….that postpartum Depression has more to do with your body reacting to all the Hormones and everything else that changes when you are pregnant. Having another human being in your body really can drain you!
I don’t think the actual birth process, easy, difficult, long or ER like you has much to do with it. Although certainly an easy birth (is there really such a thing?) would definitely make you feel happy and relieved at the time.
It sounds to me like you really have pulled yourself together. I have many “diagnosis’ of various mental disorders. My first baby I delivered was an extremely terrible and traumatic crisis. I won’t go into all that but Thank God he was so very healthy-but I had to spend a week in the Hospital to recover and when i went home it took about a month for me to be able to go to the bathroom myself and I Had to have a nurse come to my house every day. Despite all my mental issues and the trauma of the birth, I never became depressed. I mean I had my crying moments because the sleep deprivation that a newborn will do to you is likely to bring out a mental meltdown. But I didn’t have a real serious episode like I get from time to time now. Honestly I’m always exhibiting some kind of goofy symptoms. I guess the LOVE I felt for my children was so intense and new and wonderful that the mental issues kind of took a back seat and I was a great Mom.
My second baby-perfect delivery. He was healthy and I could walk and got back to normal in a day!
One thing I did experience, is my OCD really got out of control. My house was so clean because I didn’t want a spec of dirt or anything touching the baby. but it drove me crazy because if I saw a pillow out of place i would almost start crying. My OCD is bad. I’ve had nervous type disorders since I was 5. I’m 41 now.
For me, because I have multiple diagnosis it depends on what’s going on and I just never know which disorder will happen.
And WOW! I’m so happy that you got a sleeper!
After reading what you wrote I believe that you have your head on really straight right now and it’s so perfectly possible that you won’t have any mental breakdowns.. Being aware of things and yourself as much as YOU is really one of the best ways to kind of get a grip when you feel a depression episode coming on.
One more comment-I know I have mental issues. However, don’t let that diagnosis rule your life. You don’t have to be what a shrink tells you that you are. Does that make sense? Have you seen the movie with Russel Crowe or read the book ” A Beautiful Mind”? True story and the book is better. But it’s about realizing your limitations and taking control before you start sinking. I know you can do it. As soon as that depression starts giving you symptoms-go to your doctor and tell them before you get so far down.
I hope I’m making sense.
Oh and the alcoholic boyfriend is verbally abusing you. He sounds so cruel. If you have a serious diagnosis then you just cannot be around someone like that. I’ve been there. Get away girl. He will never change.
I am so happy for you. I’m also completely confident that you will be just fine and dandy with that new little sweet Angel. ‘
I feel like I wrote a lot about myself. too much. But that’s my experience I’m sharing with you. I don’t have any sources because it’s all from my memory. I hope that’s ok? It’s what I know.
Please let me know how things are going. If you need anyone to vent to please send me an email.
But YOU GO GIRL! You are really a cool person and your baby is lucky to have YOU. Please get away from the boyfriend. If he is like that now think about what he might say or do to your baby. You and your child are so much better than that! You remind me of me. Our minds are just FRAGILE and should be treated with caring and lots of love and encouragement, not how you are being treated.
Ok, please keep me posted on things!!!! Jane08012005@yahoo.com
SarahJane
Now I’m rambling. I’m happy for you. Keep in touch if you would like.