Postpartum depression is a serious concern that all new parents should be worried about. While it's normal to go through many changes and fears after your baby is born, postpartum depression can often prevent you from being the healthiest version of yourself. Now new research proves that it can even set in up to three years after giving birth. For many parents, this news is pretty surprising.
And that's likely because parents may not know to screen for it at this point. Since the birth happened years prior, moms may not realize their mood changes could be related. Depression, in general, can often be a lifelong diagnosis — so it's important to make sure you have all the tools you need to get through it.
So how do moms know if it's postpartum depression or just the blues? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention excellently points out that "feelings of postpartum depression are more intense and last longer than those of 'baby blues,' a term used to describe the worry, sadness, and tiredness many women experience after having a baby," noting that "baby blues" often disappear after just a few days.
It may take up to three years to diagnose. But even with treatment, it can take years for moms to feel normal again. It's a big parenting price to pay that often gets overlooked.
The recent study was reported by Today. While experts knew that it could take a long time for women to feel like themselves after experiencing postpartum depression, they reportedly had no idea that it could manifest so long after the actual birth. But it's apparent in screenings that women suffer at many stages.
"This is absolutely something that we know and something I see every day: Women coming either with persistent symptoms beyond the year postpartum — or more — or even presenting a bit later," said Dr. Andrea Favini, a psychiatrist at Pittsburgh's Allegheny Health Network, when interviewed by Today. "It's really important to have studies like this to really show that there is variation and how symptoms progress over time."
But there's still a lot of studying to be done. For one, many studies don't test whether or not new moms felt depression prior to and during the pregnancy of their child. But still, the findings so far are intriguing. "Women who are presenting to treatment a little bit later or their symptoms are coming up almost two years postpartum — they think this can't possibly be postpartum depression," Dr. Favini continued. "It's really validating to have a broader definition of the perinatal period."
It's especially interesting in the first year. Upon getting checkups, many moms are given a screener to test for postpartum depression. Often, it's a survey that doctors can examine. If a woman marks that she's not feeling great about herself or the birth of her child, a doctor can try to extend help.
But motherhood comes with a lot of difficulty. Many women may deny they're feeling sad, fearing that others may assume they can't handle the pressures of motherhood. So often, the hardships and the pain are hidden. Even more often, people are so enraptured with the new baby that they forget to ask mom, "How are you doing?"
Then, eventually, those surveys end. After the first year, appointments with your child become less frequent. And many doctors assume that the time for depression has already passed. Knowing it can take up to three years to show its true colors means that there have been a lot of mothers suffering as their children reached the toddler stage — but perhaps they didn't know why.
Today also talked to Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, who felt as if more moms need to be checked on. Motherhood is difficult, but many don't know how it can affect your mood — and situations such as staying inside throughout most of 2020 can make things even harder. While resources exist for moms, many of those resources had to shut down this year.
"The strength of the study is that you have 5,000 women tracked over time and what it suggests is that certainly the experience of being a mother during those few years postpartum is a challenge," Dr. Meltzer-Brody said. "We should be giving more support to women and mothers." Most moms will likely agree.
If more moms knew how common their depression was, they might be more open to talking about it. But every mom has a fear that judgment will follow. Being depressed, or going through changes even well after childbirth, doesn't mean you're not a good mom. It just means that the parenting journey is a little harder.
If you're curious as to whether or not you may be suffering, the CDC lists a few common symptoms. Moms dealing with depression often suffer from a lack of energy, hopeless and pessimistic feelings, trouble with sleep, overeating or undereating, and lack of interest in hobbies that once lifted them up. Thoughts of suicide can also occur.
Many moms often put others before themselves — it's part of the job description. But unfortunately, this means that they may set aside their own health, which can end up snowballing into something worse. Every woman deserves to prioritize her health.
That said, it's also important to note that many women have issues with being able to afford their own health care. Many are without insurance, or have insurance that doesn't cover therapy or psychological health. But these challenges shouldn't make women feel as if their well-being doesn't matter. Once a woman gets pregnant, so much is already out of her control.
Finding a trustworthy person to talk to can be a good first step. There are also resources online, like Postpartum Support International, that can help you connect with people who'll be able to help out. This is a serious condition, and it's important for moms with kids of all ages to learn that they're not alone.
While it's not great news that postpartum depression can sneak up after a few years, it's important for all women to know. You shouldn't give up on tracking your own mental health after the first year. Taking care of your mind is something that you should always focus on. You deserve to feel good again.
