This is the third in the series of three articles on depression.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) – As is the case with clinical depression,
postpartum depression (PPD), too, can happen to any mother and is not just
limited to those with a history of psychiatric problems.
Mothers, with or without complications during delivery, as well as single
mothers encounter the possibility of being affected by PPD. This form of
depression does not single out any age, racial, cultural, educational or social
status of a person.
According to the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (MPA) president Dr Abdul
Kadir Abu Bakar, PPD is a normal health hazard among mothers worldwide.
"This is caused by a drastic change in the hormones and chemicals in the
brain during the delivery process, causing the mother to feel the ''baby blues''
after giving birth,” he added.
Apart from bringing in happiness, the arrival of a new family member also
causes the mother to feel sad, stressed, exhausted, agitated and emotional.
"This situation returns to normal after seven to 10 days, however it can
worsen and this can affect the health of the mother and child,” Dr Abdul Kadir
said.
Without appropriate treatment, such a situation may last until months.
“It is the main complication of giving birth, but is frequently ignored as
if young mothers are prohibited from feeling melancholic while welcoming the
arrival of the stork," he remarked.
EXPERIENCES OF AN OSCAR WINNER
Oscar recipient Gywneth Paltrow had recently recounted in the media about
the post-natal blues that she experienced after giving birth to her baby.
“I felt like a zombie. I couldn’t access my heart. I couldn’t access my
emotions. I couldn’t connect, I just thought it meant I was a terrible mother
and a terrible person,” she had said.
Paltrow is not the only celebrity to face this problem. Others such as
actress Brooke Shields and Marie Osmond had their respective episodes with PPD.
This had led Shields to come out with her memoirs ‘Down Came the Rain - My
Journey Through Postpartum Depression’.
Sharing her severe PPD episode, Malaysian TV personality Wardina Safiyyah
said, “You appear as if you are possessed by a supernatural being, but the truth
is that the illness makes you feel easily sad, agitated, behave irrationally.”
The severe PPD episode that she experienced after giving birth to her second
child has prompted Wardina to delve deep into the issue, apart from joining a
support group in order to gain more knowledge on PPD.
Now, each time when a friend or relative gives birth to a baby she is around
to provide the moral support in the hope that they will not have to experience
the PPD the way she had gone through.
Wardina is of the opinion that knowledge and support from the husband and
family will help a mother to get over the depression, if it happens for a second
time.
GIVE IMPORTANCE TO YOUR CHILD
To overcome the PPD, Dr Abdul Kadir has listed out several measures that
need to be taken by expecting women, particularly with regard to health and
well-being.
“Conceiving is something special and a baby is a huge responsibility.
Therefore the mother has to give importance to herself and her baby apart from
getting as much moral support as possible,” Dr Abdul Kadir said.
He added that it is good to create a strong bond between the mother and
child as early as possible and this can be done with the mother talking,
caressing and chanting religious verses while the baby is yet to be born.
He advised the mother to strictly adhere to the traditional ''dos'' and
''donts'' after delivery as these are beneficial to the child.
Most importantly, the mother should not be left alone during her
confinement period and the spouse as well as family members should be around to
give moral support. This is crucial for the mother to achieve emotional balance.
“During confinement, the mother should have the services of a trained
midwife in order to obtain advice and share her problems.
"The most important thing is that the expecting mother, her husband and
family should know that post-natal blues can be treated. Hence the relevant
parties should learn about it and be able to take appropriate steps to deal with
it when the time comes," Dr Abdul Kadir noted.
He advised those who are experiencing PPD to set aside their fear of
embarassment and talk about their problems with the midwife, social nurse,
doctor and counsellor.
“With education and support, those who experience the post-partum
depression for the first time will not get it for the second time," he added.
-- BERNAMA
SAG ZUL INE RON
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