{"id":3242,"date":"2019-01-14T00:37:38","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T00:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sg\/?p=3242"},"modified":"2023-05-25T19:10:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T11:10:52","slug":"clearing-the-dark-cloud-of-postnatal-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/clearing-the-dark-cloud-of-postnatal-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Clearing The Dark Cloud Of Postnatal Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3242\" class=\"elementor elementor-3242\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e81d535 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e81d535\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-23fc58c\" data-id=\"23fc58c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d694ae0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d694ae0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.1 - 09-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Clearing The Dark Cloud Of Postnatal Depression<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b360cb elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0b360cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.1 - 09-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/9th-month-abdomen-adult-266094-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-3243\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/9th-month-abdomen-adult-266094-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/9th-month-abdomen-adult-266094-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/9th-month-abdomen-adult-266094-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/9th-month-abdomen-adult-266094.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4041dca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4041dca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.1 - 09-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<div class=\"btArticleContent \"><div class=\"bt_bb_wrapper\"><section id=\"bt_bb_section646f3f232fa6b\" class=\"bt_bb_section bt_bb_layout_boxed_1200 bt_bb_vertical_align_top article-section-page bt_bb_top_spacing_ bt_bb_bottom_spacing_\" data-bt-override-class=\"{&quot;bt_bb_top_spacing_&quot;:{&quot;current_class&quot;:&quot;bt_bb_top_spacing_&quot;,&quot;xl&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;bt_bb_bottom_spacing_&quot;:{&quot;current_class&quot;:&quot;bt_bb_bottom_spacing_&quot;,&quot;xl&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}\"><div class=\"bt_bb_port\"><div class=\"bt_bb_cell\"><div class=\"bt_bb_cell_inner\"><div class=\"bt_bb_row_wrapper\"><div class=\"bt_bb_row\" data-structure=\"12\"><div class=\"bt_bb_column col-xl-12 col-xs-12 col-sm-12 col-md-12 col-lg-12 post-container bt_bb_vertical_align_top bt_bb_align_left bt_bb_padding_normal\" data-width=\"12\" data-bt-override-class=\"{&quot;bt_bb_align_&quot;:{&quot;current_class&quot;:&quot;bt_bb_align_left&quot;,&quot;xl&quot;:&quot;left&quot;},&quot;bt_bb_padding_&quot;:{&quot;current_class&quot;:&quot;bt_bb_padding_normal&quot;,&quot;xl&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;}}\"><div class=\"bt_bb_column_content\"><div class=\"bt_bb_text\"><p><em>Prevalent and overlooked, we shine the spotlight on this pressing issue of mental depression post childbirth and the silent battles waged by brave mothers.<\/em><\/p><p>Having a child is often said to be one of the happiest chapters in a woman\u2019s life. However, to some, the maternal bond may not come as naturally due to the influence of Postnatal Depression(PND), which is a mood disorder that affects mothers after childbirth.<\/p><p>Living together with her parents, Mrs Daniel* reckoned she could well manage her baby with their presence and experience. In order to fulfil her new role as a mother, she took on every task that was baby-related. Daily chores like changing nappies, sterilising milk bottles and makingmilk became a normal routine which she enjoyed.<\/p><p>However, things took a change after a month. \u201cFrom a loving and caring mother, I no longer wanted to have my baby,\u201d she said. \u201cThe new role was just too much for me and besides, it hindered my freedom.\u201d Mrs Daniel started losing appetite and sleep, and even turned a deaf ear when her baby cried. The lovey-dovey motherly feeling just slipped away. That was when she knew that she was suffering from PND.<\/p><p><strong>Post Natal Depression: Causes For Alarm<\/strong><\/p><p>Mrs Daniel is but one of the many women dealing with PND, which affects about 10 to 15% of postnatal women. The causes are often multifactorial, with one of the main factors being the change in postpartum hormone levels. The dramatic drop in hormones like estrogen and progesterone immediately after childbirth can bring about feelings of sluggishness and depression.<\/p><p>Other non-physical factors can also take you down the depression slide, including the change in lifestyle from being a couple to a parent, complications during childbirth, lack of social support, marital discord, lack of sleep, and many others.<\/p><p><strong>Blues Clues: Differences between Post Natal Depression &amp; Baby Blues<\/strong><\/p><p>PND is frequently confused with baby blues or postnatal blues. However, there are many differences between the two. Baby blues occur in 50 to 70% of mothers. It can make a mother feel anxious, unable to sleep or have poor sleep, and teary for very little reason. The symptoms usually last for up to 10-14 days.<\/p><p>If the condition persists past 14 days, then it could possibly be PND, which unlike baby blues, is usually more severe and cannot be remedied with a short-term fix. If left untreated, PND can even disrupt your daily routine and your ability to take care of your baby.<\/p><p><strong>Spot the Signs: Common Symptoms of PND<\/strong><\/p><p>So how do mothers ascertain if what they are feeling is PND? The most obvious sign is the suffocating feeling of being overwhelmed. Mothers might also feel low in mood throughout the day, have very low energy levels, display anxiety symptoms, and find it hard to enjoy anything. They could also develop a sense of guilt for not coping very well, which results in self-blaming. In some cases, they might display problems with memory and concentration.<\/p><p>Take the example of Nathan and Suzie*, who are happily married with two healthy children. Their blissful chapter did not start out smoothly as Suzie had PND after the birth of their first child. \u201cThere was once when she woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet and couldn\u2019t find her way back into the room,\u201d said Nathan as he recalled one incident during Suzie\u2019s PND episode.<\/p><p>Concerned, Nathan left their room to look for her and found her pacing around in circles in the living room. \u201cShe was very anxious about not being able to look after her baby, and she couldn\u2019t find her way back into the room,\u201d he said. \u201cLooking back, my wife knew she wasn\u2019t her normal self. However, she didn\u2019t realise she was going through depression; she only knew she had all these fear and anxiety gripping her.\u201d<\/p><p>Both Mrs Daniel and Suzie managed to seek treatment at hospitals, and have since recoveredfrom the condition.<\/p><p><strong>The Postnatal Struggle<\/strong><\/p><p>Regardless of whether a woman has PND or not, all mothers face similar challenges during the post natal period. Even celebrity moms like Chrissy Teigen are stepping forward to speak publicly about their experiences with postnatal depression. The model and TV presenter confessed that she \u201ccouldn\u2019t control it\u201d, and that merely being open about the subject helps. \u201cI\u2019m speaking up now because I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don\u2019t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.\u201d<\/p><p>Influencer mummies, Jayme Shing and Aarika Lee shared about the challengesthey faced after childbirth. One of the common challenges that mothers face after childbirth is breastfeeding, which does not come instinctively and is a learnt behaviour. According to mummy blogger Jayme, she struggled during the first few months after childbirth due to breastfeeding issues. \u201cI wanted to totally breastfeed my baby but I didn\u2019t havethat kind of supply to match up yet. Nowadays, everyone is so open about breastfeeding. They want to breastfeed their babies exclusively and not give supplements or formula milk to their babies, and that adds on to the pressure.\u201d<\/p><p>Good coaching and support are needed to breastfeed successfully. While there may be a lot ofpressure on women to breastfeed, mothers also need to manage their expectations that<\/p><p>breastfeeding is not easy. It is also very taxing on the mother who needs to breastfeed round theclock, approximately every two to three hours for the next few weeks to months.<\/p><p>Aarika Lee, the Head of Marketing and Copywriting of Elementary Co., a branding and marketing consultancy, shared about the struggle to let go of whatever she had planned. \u201cBabiesare very unpredictable. I realised that I couldn\u2019t do everything on my own and learned that Icould lean on the people around me who loved and cared for my baby as much as I did. I hadthe tendency of trying to be \u2018Superwoman\u2019; rather than acceptinghelp, I always tried to doeverything by myself before I seek help. My mum raised me on her own after my dad passed away, so my impression of a mother was someone who could do everything. As a child, I guess I didn\u2019t know what help she got along theway, so to me it was like magic. She could do everything and I aspired so much to be like her. Ithought I could do it all, but the truth is everyone needs to have a huge support system in orderto be a good, rested and patient mum who can provide.\u201d<\/p><p><strong>Grabbing Post Natal Depression By The Horns<\/strong><\/p><p>Partner support was perceived by PND patients to be among the top contributing factors in their recovery. Coping with mood disorders alone is extremely difficult and having an understanding partner who provides emotional comfort and physical involvement would help the mother temendously.<\/p><p>For spouses of women with PND, emotional support involves encouraging their wives and assuring them that they are doing well, while their physical workload can be lightened by helping to look after the baby to allow them to go out and engage in some activities which they might have given up because of motherhood. Even for mothers who are not depressed, support will help to buffer against the likely stress in the postnatal period.<\/p><p>Another thing that the husband and the extended family can help with is to give the mother asmuch rest as possible by helping her out with childcare duties such as feeding the child or changing the diapers so that the mother can take a break.<\/p><p><strong>Treat It Right<\/strong><\/p><p>Different treatment methods are employed depending on the severity of the PND. For the majority of women who have mild to moderate depression, basic education about protecting sleep, getting some time for exercise, and couple time are important. Mothers may be very sleep deprived, and although they may tide through the first month fairly well looking after the baby full time and getting woken up many times a night, it will eventually take a toll on them.<\/p><p>If a woman had depression in the past or has very poor social support, treatment via counselling or psychotherapy will be recommended. For moderate to severe depression, educational lifestyle advice works less well and thus antidepressants are prescribed to manage the condition.<\/p><p><strong>Learning to let go<\/strong><\/p><p>Aarika mentioned how young parents like to read up a lot because information can be found everywhere. However, she strongly believes in the advice shared by her mother, \u201cYou can read all these resources, but the most important thing is to read your child. What works for others might not work for you, and what works on one child might not necessarily work on the next even if both of them are yours!\u201d<\/p><p>\u201cLearning to let go is very important. Learning to let go of the baby to the care of somebody else that you trust, and learning to let go of yourself as well \u2013 in terms of the mistakes that we made when caring for the baby because sometimes we get into a guilt trap. We should also learn to ask for help too. Don\u2019t be ashamed to ask for help. Asking for help doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re weak and you\u2019re not a good mother,\u201d said Jayme as she shared about what she learnt while parenting her two children.<\/p><p>Postpartum depression is an equal opportunity disease and can happen to anyone. Recognising the signs early on and getting the support you need is paramount. But the most crucial step to take is to emerge from the pervasive stigma the condition brings, speak up, and adopt a help-seeking approach. After all, grey skies can only make way for sunshine.<\/p><p><em>Joyful Beginnings is a health communications campaign by four final-year students from the<\/em><em>Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.This campaign aims to raise awareness about Postnatal Depression amongst young parents inSingapore, and the importance of support mothers should receive to achieve mental wellness.<\/em><\/p><p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><em>*Names have been changed to protect their privacy<\/em><\/p><p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>To learn more about how to maintain your mental well-being during the\u00a0<\/em><em>postnatal period, view the Postnatal Mental Wellness booklet, aninitiative produced in collaboration with KK Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s Hospitaland National University Hospital \u2013<\/em><em>http:\/\/bit.ly\/2nJ7ecF\u00a0<\/em><\/p><p><em><strong>Interested in reading more\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgpregnancy-mother-baby-care-tips\/\">pregnancy and maternity tips<\/a>?<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p>Hope you liked this article about how to handle post natal depression. You will find a collection of articles here on pregnancy diet and nutrition, exercise &amp; fitness during and post pregnancy, emotional wellness and more. Check out a few from the list below:<\/p><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgbeyond-bone-and-horn\/\">Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Tips on post pregnancy care\u00a0<\/a>: TCM is beyond \u2018bone and horns\u2019<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgspeed-bumps-for-a-second-pregnancy\/\">Speed bumps for a second pregnancy<\/a>\u00a0: How to prepare for a second pregnancy and overcome the struggles many parents go through<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgpowered-up-pregnancy\/\">Powered up pregnancy<\/a>\u00a0: Strange pregnancy facts and sensory changes during pregnancy<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgwhy-mindfulness-is-essential-for-happiness\/\">The importance of space for pause<\/a>\u00a0: Why mindfulness is essential for happiness<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgprenatal-exercise-tips-reduce-stress-lower-back-pain\/\">Simple Pre-natal yoga exercises<\/a>\u00a0: Reduce stress, lower back pain and improve blood flow.<\/li><\/ol><p><em><strong>Have you considered umbilical cord blood banking ?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p>If you are pregnant, it is a good time to take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to store your baby\u2019s cord blood and cord tissue with Cryoviva, a reputed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sg\">family cord blood bank<\/a>\u00a0in Singapore. Understand the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgstem_cell_slug\/process\/\">cord blood collection<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgstem_cell_slug\/storage-process\/\">cord blood storage<\/a>\u00a0process as well as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgprice-plan\/\">cord blood banking cost in Singapore<\/a>.\u00a0 If you have any questions on benefits of cord blood banking or the process and costs,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cryoviva.com.sgcontact-us\/\">contact us<\/a> today. Our specialists are here to help you every step of the way. Simply e-mail: enquiry@cryoviva.com.sg \/ WhatsApp: +65- 8339 8482<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clearing The Dark Cloud Of Postnatal Depression Prevalent and overlooked, we shine the spotlight on this pressing issue of mental depression post childbirth and the silent battles waged by brave mothers. Having a child is often said to be one of the happiest chapters in a woman\u2019s life. However, to some, the maternal bond may not come as naturally due to the influence of Postnatal Depression(PND), which is a mood disorder that affects mothers after [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3242"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3242"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15681,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3242\/revisions\/15681"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontarget-media.com\/cryoviva_new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}