Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression

Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression

Introduction

Generally in our culture, the media often project an idealized image of life with an infant: a young mother, pretty, well dressed and made up, a baby sleeping peacefully in her crib, in a smart and tidy home. All women who have had children know that this picture has little to do with everyday reality. In addition, often the woman pampered and surrounded when she was found pregnant forgotten after birth, the newborn grabbing everyone's attention. To their inability to provide an image that corresponds to that described above, is it really surprising that so many women feel depressed after childbirth?

Many new mothers have moderate depressive disorders in early postpartum, usually peaking between week 3 to week 8. This coincides with a period of major hormonal changes. For most mothers, this "depression" will be temporary and only last a few days (Stone, 2009). For others, it will get worse gradually or appear only when the baby is 3-6 months. In this case, it may affect the mother-child relationship.

Discussion

Definition

Firstly, it would be useful to better define depression postpartum. The term "depression" is ill-suited to the extent that women who have just given birth are more often anxious or agitated or lethargic as prostrate. This distinction is important when someone look at the psychological impact of breastfeeding.

Becoming a mother is difficult. This seems a priori obvious. However, it is often underestimated in reality. A new mother will often hear: "But you have everything to be happy! What you want more?” And many researchers, ignoring the stress adaptation that represents motherhood, see the origin of depression in hormonal fluctuations (Postpartum-Living, 2013).

Scientific Reason

In the days after birth, there was a massive drop in progesterone. Serum hormone that is several hundred times higher in late pregnancy than normal, and it will return to its basal level within a few days after birth. There are also lower levels of estradiol and cortisol, and a significant increase in prolactin levels. In view of these hormonal changes, a relationship between postpartum depression and breastfeeding is likely, but what is the nature of this relationship? Breastfeeding increases or diminish it the risk of depression? Many mothers have the opportunity to hear both sides of the story: "My doctor told me that I am rather anxious and that breastfeeding worse things “or”lactation consultant told me those hormones of breastfeeding had a calming and relaxing effect.”

Hormones certainly play a role, but refuse to see beyond is restrictive (Watkins, et. al., 2011). A woman may be more or less "abandoned" by her partner or her family can live in material conditions and/or emotional harsh, pregnancy and/or childbirth can be very difficult. In addition, during this period of their lives, mothers are more emotionally fragile and hyper-responsive to the environment.

Many factors contribute to depression

Mothers react differently depending on their personal psychological characteristics and their own limits;

Fatigue and lack of sleep is a constant for new parents, as they rarely know what is realistic to expect the ...