What is Postnatal Depression? PND Postnatal depression is very common and so are the amount of mothers who suffer in silence with this terrible illness.  Many suffer alone as it is not well recognised or just classed as the baby blues. There are three classifications of depression suffered in the postnatal period: ⋅The BABY BLUES ⋅POSTNATAL DEPRESSION ⋅PUERPERAL PSYCHOSIS THE BABY BLUES This is very common and classed as normal in the early postnatal stage, usually occuring 2 to 4 days after the birth. People suffer many different symptoms and it is thought to be down to a multitude of different reasons. Doctors believe it is due to changes in hormone levels and others claim it is due to the experience of being in hospital!!!  Some also believe that due to the excitement of the birth, the new arrival and the constant attention of visitors an anticlimax occurs when you return to sleepless nights and the demands of a newborn baby. This type of depression usually clears up quickly (within a couple of weeks) and is not taken very seriously by health care professionals.  However if it does get worse or goes on for longer then Health Care Professionals should be informed as it is most likely developing into POSTNATAL DEPRESSION. Symptoms of the baby blues can be similar to those seen in PND but the biggest difference is the time factor.  Remeber the BABY BLUES usually clears within a couple of weeks. POSTNATAL DEPRESSION (PND) Not everyone adapts to motherhood easily and quickly.  Most women do not tell others how they are feeling especially if they are stil feeling down after the BABY BLUES  period or a couple of weeks after the birth.  Often women feel too ashamed to tell people that they are feeling "down" or "depressed"   for fear that society will label them.  The label reading that they are unfit mothers.  There is also the fear that if they do tell health care professionals how they are feeling, that the baby will be taken away from them which is not the case at all as this has no advantage for either the mother or the baby. So you ask what is PND?  PND is the abbreviation used for POSTNATAL DEPRESSION.  PND is common and affects 1 in 6 mothers which is 10-15%.  Most people know someone or of someone who is suffering or has suffered the illness.  It usually occurs within the first month after birth BUT is common during the first six months.  However it can develop at any time during the first year after birth. PND can follow from the BABY BLUES and vary from  mild to the severest (but luckily the rarest )form known as PUERPERAL PSYCHOSIS which usually requires a hospital admission. Symptoms of PND can easily be overlooked by the sufferer, family and friends and simply seen as normal when trying to adapt to a baby and the new role of parenthood.    Yet there is a difference in occassionaly feeling down and low and feeling it constantly.    Depression is an illness just like Chicken Pox, the Measles or the flu.  There are many treatments available depending on the mother and the symptoms she is experiencing. So you may be wondering what causes PND and if you research the illness into any depth, it really isn't know what causes it.   Each case like each sufferer is individual.  However a number of factors that may contribute to PND have been suggested: ☁ A new baby can be very stressful as they require constant care.  This care is 24 hours a day which means sleep is disturbed.  It is thought that stress added together with disturbed sleep is enough to trigger the illness in susceptible people. ☁The illness may occur due to the effect of hormonal changes after childbirth. ☁It is more common if mothers have previously suffered with episodes of depression ☁It is more common if there is a baby born with an illness or a problem ☁It is more common if the baby was unplanned or even unwanted ☁It is more common if the mother experienced a stressful pregnancy or suffered a stressful life event such as a change /loss of job, house, relationship breakup or death during pregnancy ☁It is thought there may be genetic links  for example the depression may be inherited ( passed on through the genes ) if suffered by a parent or grandparent ☁Like any illness it can occur for no apparent reason It can NOT be emphasized enough that suffering from depression IS an ILLNESS and is not in any way, shape or form a sign of WEAKNESS. There are definite changes in the brain and the way it works in a depressed person.   Research show that depressed people have higher amount of stress hormones than normal.  Serotonin of 5-HT System (which are the chemical systems in the brain)  may not be working properly.  That is why antidepressants can be effective treatments to aid the reversal of these chemical changes thus making the person feel better. PUERPERAL PSYCHOSIS Thankfully this is very rare and only occurs in 1 in 500 mothers.  It is the severest type of postnatal depression illnesses.  This type is more likely to result in a hospital admission and occur in those who have a history of suffering a severe mental  illness or have a strong family history of severe mental illness.  This type of postnatal depression comes on suddenly a couple of days to a few weeks after birth and symptoms do vary.  However they do usually include a disturbance in mood.  Other symptoms may include any of the following : ★The mother is extremely restless, elated or excited and not able to rest or sleep at all ★She may have an episode of mania - characterized by excessive cheerfulness and increased activity.  Her mood is euphoric and changes rapidly to irritability. Her thought and speech are rapid to the point of incoherence and connections between  ideas may be difficult to follow ★She may have mood swings from high to low ★She may have delusions which make her thoughts muddled and leads to irrationally held beliefs that can not be altered by rational arguement.  A common case that you may have heard of is a mother  believing the baby is seriously ill when the baby is in perfect health ★She may hear voices and see things that aren't there (hallucinations) .  Again you may have heard of the mother who drowned her baby as she heard voices telling her to do so What is clear is that the mothers behaviour will be seen as DISTURBING and out of character by family and friends.  This DOES REQUIRE TREATMENT from health care professionals  and should be reported to the GP or HEALTH VISITOR as soon as it is suspected.  The treatment depends on the type of symptoms being suffered but it is usual for a PSYCHIATRIST to be involved in the care.  Hence it is important for mothers with this form of postnatal depression to seek help as soon as possible so they can receive the much needed medical and social support.