Postpartum Risks You Need to Know About
Are you worried about Postpartum risks or Postpartum Depression (PPD)? It can be scary to imagine this happening, but I wouldn’t stress about it too much.
Instead, I would suggest that you educate yourself to be prepared so you can spot the signs and know if you have any risk factors. PPD should be a very real concern (around 10% of women experience PPD), but there are ways to help reduce these risks or at least be aware of them so you can know how to respond to them.
To give you a little more information on Postpartum Depression, if you aren’t too familiar with it, is a mood disorder that can cause or include extreme sadness, very low energy, anxiety, sleep problems, irritability, changes in the way you eat, episodes of crying, and can also have detrimental affects on your newborn.
I did not experience Postpartum Depression, but it was something that my OBGYN was concerned about with me becoming a Single Mom by Choice. Having a baby on your own may put you at a higher risk if you don’t have certain pieces in place to combat these risks.
So, let me share a little bit about what I learned from experience and educating myself on the risk factors.
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. The information in this post is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice in any way. I am not liable for any damages resulting from using the information in this article. Please consult a doctor for your medical advice.
Your Mental Health Prior to Your Pregnancy
If you or your family have a history of mental health issues, such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, etc., this is considered a risk factor. You may need to adjust your medications or potentially stop them altogether when you become pregnant.
Personally, I did not have any previous mental health issues, but a friend of mine did. These are the steps she took to help combat these risk factors:
– She made sure to consult with her doctor
– Educated herself about the risk factors that came with the changes she would need to make
– Reached out to me and another friend to be on the lookout for habits she would typically exhibit that would potentially mean she was depressed
– Informed us about what we should do if we did see these habits forming
Try to take note of your mood throughout your pregnancy and postpartum. It would also be wise to put the steps above or similar ones into place to help keep you and baby safe.
Hormones
Hormones play a huge role during your pregnancy and after. Your body gets flooded with hormones while you’re pregnant and then your body has to try and regulate back to normal after birth. It’s a hot mess.
It’s okay to feel a little crazy during all of this. Your hormones are basically taking you for a rollercoaster ride and aren’t even giving you a chance to buckle in.
Try to be aware of this and gauge your emotions and symptoms, especially postpartum. The severity and length will help you determine if it’s just your hormones trying to regulate, causing “baby blues” or if you could be experiencing PPD.
Sleep Deprivation
This was my OBGYN’s biggest concern as a risk factor for my developing PPD. As a SMC, you don’t have a built-in backup for those long string of late-night feedings.
Sleep is what helps not only our bodies and brains function, but when we are exhausted from a lack of sleep, it can have dangerous effects on our brain chemistry.
This is why it’s strongly suggested, especially for SMCs to sleep while baby sleeps or to have support in place so you are able to take a nap or get some extra rest.
This can be a concern for someone who doesn’t nap well. It was definitely a worry of mine, I’m a terrible napper.
From my experience, you will be so tired, that napping should be relatively easy to do if your issue with napping is falling asleep. If you’re concerned about things you “should” be getting done, like housework, let it slide, your rest is more important.
Social Support
Having social support was another big concern of my OBGYN when it came to my risk factors for PPD. She was sure to ask about what kind of social support I had and what my plan was for the first few weeks to months after my son was born.
She knew that sleep deprivation was a big risk factor for PPD and wanted to make sure I had help at least for those first few weeks and a solid support network around me.
Not only is having a baby physically taxing, but it’s all new territory that can have you feeling very vulnerable. You will want to have people around to help you physically, mentally, and/or emotionally.
My mom was nice enough to come and stay with us for the first couple weeks after my son was born, which was very helpful, especially since I had a c-section and needed to try refraining from using my abs or lifting anything over 10 lbs.
I rocked the nights alone with my son, which actually went really well. My mom was there throughout the day to help with the housework, cooking, and taking a turn with her grandson if I needed a break.
I also had a great group of friends that lived pretty close by and were on standby should I need anything from food, to house help, to a visit or an ear to vent to.
This part may not seem as important when you’re looking over the list of risk factors, but trust me, it is essential.
I’m very independent and did tackle my son’s arrival like a warrior, but it was so wonderful to have those small breaks and help around the house. The little things can be so impactful, don’t take them for granted.
People want to help, especially if you have a good group of them like I did. Let them help.
Accepting that help in no way makes you weak or means that you can’t handle being a solo parent. “It takes a village” is a saying for a reason.
Breastfeeding
If you decide to breastfeed your baby, it will actually reduce your risk for PPD. When you breastfeed, it raises your serotonin levels, which is a neurotransmitter in your brain that communicates satisfaction/happiness/optimism via nerve cells throughout your body.
Raised levels of serotonin decrease your risk of depression. This helps to combat things like PPD.
And remember those pesky hormones trying to regulate normally throughout your body? These fluctuate with breastfeeding as well.
When you decide it’s time to stop breastfeeding, if it is possible, try to do your best to wean off breastfeeding slowly. Abruptly stopping can have detrimental effects on your hormones and increase your chances of postpartum anxiety and depression.
I breastfed my son for about 9 months. I started introducing formula when he was around 6-7 months old and slowly increased the formula and reduced the breastfeeding/pumping sessions.
It made for a pretty smooth transition on my hormones. I did deal with some serious mom-guilt, but we’ll dig into that in another post
Infant Temperament
And finally, one of the last risk factors for PPD that I was initially concerned about was the baby’s temperament. If your baby has colic, isn’t a great sleeper, cries often for no reason, etc., this can affect how you react mentally postpartum.
As a SMC, I was nervous about how I was going to deal with these things if my son did end up having a more difficult temperament. A huge thanks to the universe for sending me one of the easiest babies with a very chill and happy temperament.
I have a decent amount of patience, but I was very concerned about that, especially coupled with sleep deprivation. This is another excellent reason to ask and accept help.
Anytime there was a tough period or phase that did arise, I would just remind myself that it may be challenging now, but it’s not going to last forever. In truth, the phases they go through are fast, and even when frustrating, you kind of still miss them when they’re over (for the most part).
Educate Yourself
There are other risk factors besides these ones to look out for. These are the main ones that I had experiences with or caused concern for me when I was doing my research.
I strongly suggest that you do your own research and prepare yourself in a way that you feel will work best for you. I’ve included some links to different resources of information on Postpartum risks and depression to get you started.
Resources to educate yourself on Postpartum Risks and Depression:
Postpartum Depression: Who Is At Risk? – MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health
Postpartum Depression – Mayo Clinic
Postpartum Depression: Causes, Risks, and Treatments at UPMC Magee-Womens in Central Pa
Cheers, Warriors!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it entertaining, educational, inspiring—hopefully, all three. Please be sure to leave any comments or questions you have in the Comments section below.
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