Causes of Postpartum Depression
There's no single cause for postpartum depression. Physical, emotional and lifestyle factors may all play a role:
- Physical changes- 48 hours after childbirth, a dramatic drop in hormones in the mother's body (estrogen, cortisol and progesterone) may contribute to postpartum depression. Other hormones produced by your thyroid gland also may drop sharply — which can leave one feeling tired, sluggish and depressed. Changes in one's blood volume, blood pressure, immune system and metabolism can be further stresses that contribute to fatigue and mood swings.Normalization of hormone levels help in restoring the normal mind state of the mother.
Dramatic drop in progesterone level postpartum:
- Emotional factors. When the mother is sleep deprived and overwhelmed, she may have trouble handling even minor problems.She may be anxious about her ability to care for her newborn.She may feel less attractive or struggle with her sense of identity.Changes in her body from pregnancy and delivery, changes in work and social relations,having less time and freedom for herself,lack of sleep could also lead to postpartum depression.She may feel she has lost control over her life.Any of these factors can contribute to postpartum depression.
- Lifestyle influences- Many lifestyle factors can lead to postpartum depression including a demanding baby or older siblings, difficulty breast-feeding, exhaustion, financial problems ,and lack of support from your partner or other loved ones.
Thus postpartum depression results from body,mind and lifestyle factors combined.No two women have the same biologic makeup or life experiences.These
differences may be why some women have postpartum depression and others do not.
