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The birth of a baby a bundle of blues?

Postnatal depression is an under diagnosed problem that affects new mothers

MOTHER AND CHILD Besides giving immense joy, a newborn gives the mother anxious moments too

The nine-month wait and wonder comes to a happy end with the birth of a baby.

But in many cases the birth leaves the mother emotionally untouched.

What should ideally usher in excitement leaves many disillusioned and worried. This is what Neha experienced and was diagnosed as suffering from postpartum or peripartum depression.

After the birth of her baby she started experiencing elusiveness towards the baby. No matter how much she tried to cajole the little one, it still cried and she experienced disappointment. This state of mind also termed as baby blues, is experienced by most women, and arises due to hormonal changes in the body. It may last from a few days to a several months. But the good news is that is transient and treatable.

"Everybody including me thought that I would make a wonderful mom. It shocked me when I could not caress my baby nor pamper it. I felt like a failure. I could not comprehend my mental state. There were times when I just wanted to leave everything and run away from my home ," recalls Neha Rohit.

First time moms are more prone to postpartum depression due to the anxiety to cope with the new identity crisis, but there is no explicit pattern. "On the onset I was perplexed with Neha's behaviour. I thought she did not like our baby as the baby was on the darker side. But as the days went by she started behaving in a very outlandish manner. We as a family were there to support her but she has lost on the ecstasy and elation of the first few days of motherhood that she pined for," says Rohit, husband of Neha.

" 90 per cent of mothers experience fear and depression after their delivery. Out of this one-third has recurring depression, which can be treated with mild therapy and two out of a thousand suffer from psychosis, which may need hospitalisation as it has acute disabling effects," says Sina, a psychologist,

Baby blues is a self-resolving dilemma and lasts as long as the hormone levels in the body are enduring a change and once the hormones are settled, the blues fade away. Sometimes a lack of consideration on the part of the spouse may result in making matters worse for the couple. "My daughter used to feel lonely and tired and was unable to work. She was very touchy, irritable, and felt unloved. She used to feel insecure and worried for the welfare of the child. Even her relationship with my son-in-law was strained at that time. ," says Mary Mathew of the time when her daughter was in the throes of postnatal blues.

During the first few days post delivery, the woman goes through a plethora of emotional upheaval and needs some expressive assistance and moral support by her side all the time. It is advisable for new fathers to take paternity leave that is a part of the western culture. It is an effective way to deal with the depression that follows childbirth.

JESSINA ABOOBACKER

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