Husbands, Understand Post-Birth Depression That Can Attack Your Wife

As a new parent, the presence of a baby will certainly bring extraordinary happiness to you and your family. But sometimes, this happiness may not be felt by your wife. If after giving birth she looks depressed, sad, and helpless, this may be a sign that your wife is experiencing postpartum depression. Postpartum depression (postpartum depression) is a type of depression that occurs after childbirth. Because the symptoms are similar, this condition is often considered the same as baby blues. In fact, the two are different things Both postpartum depression and baby blues can occur in the early weeks after giving birth. The difference is in how long the symptoms last. Baby blues usually last for 2 weeks until they subside on their own. While postpartum depression can last for several weeks to several months, and the symptoms will not subside alone without treatment.

Why Does Your Wife Have Postpartum Depression?

The cause of postpartum depression is not known with certainty. However, this condition is thought to occur due to several factors, such as:

Hormonal changes

After giving birth, the levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in your wife's body will decrease dramatically. This decrease in hormones triggers mood swings and emotional instability.

Psychological problems

The pressure your wife feels because she has to carry the burden and responsibility as a mother will certainly cause her stress. Plus the feeling of being tired from having just given birth, this can make your wife vulnerable to postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is also more at risk for your wife if she has previously had certain psychological disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder. In addition to the above, there are several factors that can increase a woman's risk of developing postpartum depression, including:

• Having difficulty breastfeeding.
• Having a pregnancy at a young age or already have many children.
• Experiencing stressful events, such as losing a job, financial problems, or having a family member die.
• Having complications during pregnancy or childbirth, such as anemia, prolonged labor, or premature delivery.
• Become a victim of domestic violence.

What Happens if Your Wife Has Postpartum Depression?

Symptoms of postpartum depression usually appear within a few weeks after giving birth, but there are also women who show new symptoms of depression after a few months or 1 year postpartum. When your wife experiences postpartum depression, she will experience the following symptoms:

• Do not have the desire to do daily activities.
• Emotions are uncontrollable and easily change, such as being moody, sad or angry.
• Hard to sleep.
• Decreased appetite or even increased.
• Difficult to concentrate and easy to forget.
• Difficulty or reluctance to care for and interact with your child.
• Feeling guilty, worthless, or unworthy of being a mother.
• The thought appears to hurt yourself or your child.
• If it gets heavier, your wife might have suicidal thoughts.

What to Do if Your Wife Has Postpartum Depression?

If your wife shows symptoms of postpartum depression, try to always accompany and provide emotional support to her. Your role is very important to accelerate his recovery. The following are the steps you can take when your wife has postpartum depression:

• Be patient and try to understand the conditions. Take the time to always be there for him so he feels supported and does not harbor these negative feelings by himself.
• Help your wife so that she can take care and take care of her own health, for example by making nutritious food for her.
• Help your wife take care of the newborn little one and do homework so he has time to rest. If you feel overwhelmed, you can always ask for help from friends or close relatives to ease the work at home.
• Be a good listener if your wife expresses her feelings. Try to listen to what he expresses with empathy and not judge him.

Your attention, support and affection are the best medicine for your wife to get through this difficult time. But not only emotional support, your wife also needs to get an examination and treatment from a psychologist if her postpartum depression does not improve. Therefore, do not hesitate to consult with a psychologist to help your wife recover from her postpartum depression.