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Beyond the Baby Blues
Beyond the Baby Blues
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It may be one of the most misunderstood concepts in medicine. It is called postpartum depression. And as many as one out of ten women have the problem. The depression can be severe enough to lead to suicide. No one is certain what causes postpartum depression, although many researchers point to hormonal changes caused by pregnancy and delivery. People with postpartum depression feel helpless, an over whelming sense of fatigue, and they often have difficulty sleeping or eating. Now most women have a short down period after called the baby blues. This is to be expected and it may be simply a natural drop in emotion with the excitement of delivery. But postpartum depression doesn't go away. In fact, it actually may start several weeks after the delivery. The important thing to realize is that if you suffer from this you are not alone. And it is possible to get treatment. You don't need to suffer in silence.
I'm Dr. Brian McDonough.