Postpartum depression occurs more often among those women who had suffered from gestational diabetes. Let us see the association between these two medical conditions.
Unlike the slight depression many women experience after delivery, postpartum depression is more serious, stays for a longer period and usually needs to be treated. The latest study which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that if diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy, you have gestational diabetes and your chance of getting postpartum depression is very much greater.
Eleven thousand women, who had diabetes either before or during their pregnancy, participated in the study. The possibility of gestational diabetes patients being affected by depression either after or during pregnancy was a hundred percent greater than the women who had no gestational diabetes. A New York psychiatrist from the University of Rochester Medical Center, Linda Chaudron, MD, who specializes in postpartum depression, pointed out that although the study indicates that there is a connection between the two conditions, there is insufficient evidence to prove that gestational diabetes is the cause of postpartum depression.
Diabetes in Pregnancy Tied to Depression
According to Dr. Chaudron, postpartum depression happens to between ten and fourteen percent of pregnancies and it usually happens to women from the lower socioeconomic group and teenage mothers. Many studies have discovered that depression usually occurs among diabetics but it is not known which factor, whether it is the social and psychological stress of diabetes management, or the natural effect on the brain brought by diabetes, is the actual cause.
After delivery, gestational diabetes is no longer a problem for at least 90 percent of the sufferers but even when the hormones are returning to normal, the emotions are still not stable.
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Postpartum Depression Symptoms
For first-time mothers, you ought to watch out for signs of postpartum depression if you had gestational diabetes. New mothers can experience plenty of emotional and physical stress; and it is normal for them to feel depressed and exhausted. Feelings of anger and sadness over the new responsibility can arise but such emotions should not be strong enough to become a problem, disappearing after a few weeks.
Watch out for symptoms of postpartum depression, such as the ones given below:
- Sleep disturbance.
According to Chaudron, if you are unable to sleep even though there is somebody looking after your baby and you are very tired due to the amount of attention given to your baby, it can be an indication of depression.
- Exhaustion.
You become so exhausted that you can no longer given attention to your baby and yourself.
- Appetite.
You appear to have lost your appetite.
- Anxiety.
Due to feelings of panic and anxiety, you need to have someone constantly with you.
- No feeling of joy.
You are not able to bond with your child and appear to have problems wanting to communicate with him or her.
- Fear of harm.
Chaudron warns that professional assistance is needed if you experience any inclination to hurt the baby or yourself.
Postpartum Depression Treatment
Unless postpartum depression is treated, it can turn into a long-term depression, drive a wedge between your partner and you, destroy any bond you may have with your child and cause your child to have developmental problems. The sufferer may believe that the symptoms experienced are merely part of the stress in everyday life. You may not want to admit to having such signs of depression since society expects a mother to be happy with her new baby, says Chaudron.
Postpartum depression can be treated with support, therapy and, in a cases, medications. Chaudron urges mothers with the condition to seek treatment as early as possible as it does help. She advises the sufferer to seek help from your pediatrician or your obstetrician, or the same practitioner who has been able to help you in a previous depression.
It is necessary to understand postpartum depression if you have suffered from it now or earlier. You need to know that you can be at greater risk and need treatment since it is a severe kind of depression. So, get to your doctor immediately if you think you are depressed.