What causes postpartum depression?
No one knows for sure what causes postpartum depression (PPD). Hormonal changes in a woman’s body may trigger its symptoms. During pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in a woman’s body increase greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops and keeps dropping to the amount they were before the woman became pregnant. Researchers think these changes in hormones may lead to depression, just as smaller changes in hormones can affect a woman’s moods before she gets her menstrual period. Thyroid levels may also drop sharply after giving birth. (The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that helps to regulate how your body uses and stores energy from foods eaten.) Low thyroid levels can cause symptoms that can feel like depression, such as mood swings, fatigue, agitation, insomnia, and anxiety. A simple thyroid test can tell if this condition is causing a woman’s PPD. If so, thyroid medication can be prescribed b
We dont really know for sure what causes postpartum depression. People often say that postpartum depression is due to hormone changes; however, there has been very little solid research in this area. While there are dramatic hormonal shifts that take place during pregnancy and at birth and we know that hormonal shifts can alter mood, we also know that adoptive mothers, and even fathers, can develop postpartum mood disorders. So, its not just hormones that are responsible for the mood changes. In addition to the hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy and birth, there are a number of psychological and social tasks that a new mother faces, such as the development of a sense of maternal identity and confidence as a new mother. There are changes in the marriage as partners become parents together. In addition, there may be a shift in body image, professional identity, friendships, and relationships with relatives when baby is born. Last but not least, there is also the transforma
