by Jennifer Shakeel
Most women have heard that once you give birth to your child, you may experience symptoms of depression, or what many refer to as the “baby blues”. Many believe this is caused by hormonal changes along with the adjustments of a newborn that needs care 24 hours a day seven days a week. Most women are sleep deprived and have little energy, which could contribute to symptoms of depression. It is important for women and their families to be aware of the signs and symptoms of a more serious condition, postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression, a depression diagnosed right after childbirth, is a serious illness that affects a woman’s ability to complete every day tasks and can cause them to become despondent. Not only does the inability to care for her own personal needs, she begins to become unable to care for her baby, and to meet other family members needs. During a woman’s pregnancy, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone are at increased levels. Within the first 24 hours after giving birth, these hormone levels rapidly return to normal. Many researchers believe that this huge decrease in hormone levels may be the leading cause of depression.
More on Postpartum Depression: Signs and Symptoms
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Filed under Post Pregnancy, Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
by Jennifer Shakeel
You have heard about women who suffer from postpartum depression. Some have made the news with the things that they have done. You may even remember the big debate between Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise a few years ago over whether or not it was a real condition and if medications should be used to get through it. Your doctor may talk to you briefly about it, and then you will dismiss it. The thought that is going to enter your mind is, “Who in the world could be depressed over such a wonderful event?” The answer is, more women then you realize.
The first thing I want you to understand that depression during the last trimester of pregnancy is normal. The fluctuation of hormones, the draining of your energy, not being able to sleep properly, the realization that you are going to be a new mom (for the first time or second or third) all sinking in can cause a woman to feel down, not quite like herself and depressed. This is not saying that all women go through this. I didn’t with my first two, but I can tell you with this one… the last couple of weeks have been tough.
More on Coping with Depression Before and After Childbirth
Filed under Post Pregnancy, Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
by Jennifer Shakeel
Congratulations! You made it through labor and delivery and you are the proud parent of one of the most beautiful babies in the world! That’s right, you can now take that big sigh of relief… you are no longer pregnant. As you lay in the hospital bed, you are overwhelmed by the desire to stand up and see your no longer pregnant body. You are almost jittery with excitement of putting on those pre-pregnancy clothes. Once the pain killers wear off you jump out of bed to stand in front of the mirror and marvel at your no longer pregnant body…
Marvel indeed! Chances are it is not what you were expecting. I can tell you that last month, as I gave birth to my third child, a scheduled C-section, I asked my doctor if while she had me open she would go ahead and do liposuction and take care of everything while she was there. She laughed and told me I really didn’t need it (music to a pregnant woman’s ears) that there was really very little fat there and she was impressed. Naturally then I was looking forward to being back to where I was before I was pregnant.
More on Adjusting To Your No Longer Pregnant Body
Filed under Post Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Weight Control by More4kids Inc.
Welcoming a new baby into the world is an exciting experience for parents. This particular event marks the beginning of many new experiences and life-changing events. However, there are many women who experience complications with mood swings immediately following the birth of a child. This is referred to as “postpartum depression”. It is essential that women and men understand this common form of depression. Here, you will learn about postpartum depression, the most common signs and symptoms associated with this medical condition, and more.
More on Understanding Postpartum Depression
Filed under Health, Post Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
by Patricia Hughes
Welcoming a new baby into the family can be stressful for young children. This is a major life change for your child, who has been the center of your attention since his own birth. Your child needs time to prepare for this change. You can help your child adjust to the role of big brother or sister by reading and talking about newborn babies often.
More on Preparing Children for Baby's Arrival
Filed under Baby, Post Pregnancy, Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
by Patricia Hughes
If you are expecting a baby and want to stay home, you need to determine if you can make it on one income. You will need to figure out your monthly expenses and determine where you can cut expenses. You also need to figure out how much money going to work costs to determine how much of your paycheck you will be bringing home at the end of each month.
More on Staying Home With Your Baby: How to Make It Work
Filed under Post Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
More on Warning Signs and Treatment for Post Partum Depression
Filed under Post Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
Congratulations Patricia from everyone at More4kids on the birth of your new son!
C Section Recovery by Patricia Hughes
If you have a c section, or are planning to deliver your baby with a c section for medical reasons, you may be surprised at the amount of time needed to recover. I found this out with the birth of my fourth child a few weeks ago. He was my first c section delivery. I went into labor eight days past my due date. After about 12 hours of labor, I was fully dilated. The problem in my case was that the baby’s head wouldn’t come down far enough to be born vaginally. No matter what we did, he just wouldn’t budge. Soon his heart rate began to drop and it was off to the operating room.
More on Recovery from a C Section
Filed under News, Post Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
