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.
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Filed under Post Pregnancy, Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
You have probably heard about morning sickness—and may think that it is the only side effect of pregnancy. Oh if only that was the only discomfort you experience during pregnancy. In fact, each stage of pregnancy has its associated aches and pains.
For the first trimester of pregnancy, you will experience huge hormonal changes that are largely responsible for morning sickness. Many newly pregnant women report sensitivity to certain smells that are off-putting, such as coffee. They also feel nauseated due to these hormonal swings. Though “morning sickness” is the common term, women can feel nausea at any time throughout the day. Morning sickness is called such because this nausea is more common when you have an empty stomach. To combat this nausea, many women eat several saltine crackers immediately after awakening. It is also important for pregnant women to eat small meals throughout the day, even though their appetites may increase. For most women, nausea vanishes by the fourth month of pregnancy.
Though nausea is one type of abdominal pain, the other type is more of a shooting pain caused by the abdominal tissue stretching. These pains may occur in both your stomach and your upper thighs, since the uterus is pushing on those areas. To combat these pains, you can bend forward to ease the tension. You can also apply a heating pad to the affected area, though if the pain is agonizing you should contact your doctor.
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Filed under Pregnancy by More4kids Inc.
