Introduction

Postpartum mental disorders are much more common and complex than we think. Behind the clichés of the “mom with a temperament” or the “overly emotional mom” are women in distress, confronted with much deeper realities. It is time to lift the veil on these disorders, which can range from simple malaise to serious psychotic states, which can endanger the mother and her child. Let’s also find out which type of mother is more likely to develop these disorders in order to prevent their appearance.

The Different Forms of Postpartum Mental Disorders

After giving birth, several forms of mental disorders can occur in the new mother:

The baby blues

It manifests itself by fatigue, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating and especially by great emotional variability (happiness, crying, irritability, etc.). These signs generally appear in the week following childbirth and disappear spontaneously. In fact, it is a period of great emotional sensitivity rather than an illness.

Postpartum depression

It can be an extension of the baby blues or make its first appearance after the first week. It is characterized by persistent fatigue, a decrease in appetite, sleep disorders, a strong feeling of inability or displeasure in being a mother and guilt. Unlike the baby blues, there is a great fear of hurting the child which can lead to isolation and harm the development of the mother-child relationship.

Melancholic depression

This is a more serious form of postpartum depression, with the appearance of extreme ideas of guilt and ruminations on the presumed death of the child. The risk of suicide or infanticide is high. Here, follow-up by a general practitioner or psychiatrist is absolutely necessary.

Puerperal psychosis

The latter constitutes a psychiatric emergency indicating hospitalization. In principle, this disorder appears in the month following childbirth. The woman presents hallucinations, delusions (denial of conception, pregnancy and childbirth), bouts of melancholic depression, and perhaps even schizophrenic states, where she is completely disinterested in the child.

Risk Factors for Developing Postpartum Mental Disorders and Means of Combating Them

However, these disorders do not affect all mothers. Indeed, there are risk areas: mothers with a history of psychiatric illness, unwanted pregnancies, difficulties giving birth, first-time mothers, sexual abuse, etc. Some risk factors may be less obvious, such as childhood abuse or the reaction of those around them to pregnancy. Thus, the moral support of each new mother is essential, whether from the family, the healthcare staff, or even the social circle. It is important to avoid at all costs reprimanding a mother who is already feeling unwell. Instead, we should opt for attentive listening and an understanding attitude in order to prevent the onset of disorders or slow their progression. Supportive psychotherapies may be offered by doctors for severe forms. The role of those around them is, in these cases, to encourage the mother to follow them.

Conclusion

The message to get across is to never neglect a postpartum disorder, even in the case of simple discomfort. Indeed, the risk of developing into melancholic depression and puerperal psychosis is very real. This worsening of the disease occurs especially in women with a history of obstetrics or who have had a difficult childhood. Thus, since we cannot always identify the risk areas, let us morally support each new mother so that these disorders do not appear, or at least do not continue.

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