New motherhood is a joyous occasion for many women. However for some mothers, this life-changing experience can be overwhelming, or even stressful.

By some estimates, up to 85 per cent of women experience post-partum blues. This condition usually occurs within the first 10 days after the baby is born. The symptoms that women may experience include mood swings, crying spells, irritability, fatigue, and insomnia.

Although post-partum blues usually improves by itself and doesn't need any special treatment, some of these affected women may go on to develop post-partum depression. Post-partum depression occurs in up to 15 per cent of women and not only causes suffering to the new mother, but can have serious consequences for the baby and the person he or she becomes.

Major depression

Post-partum depression is defined as a major depressive disorder which occurs within a month of delivery. Of course, women may suffer from depression during their pregnancy and beyond their baby's first month of life. A woman meets the diagnosis of depression if she has certain symptoms for at least two weeks.

These symptoms include feeling depressed, losing interest in activities that she used to enjoy, problems with her sleep or appetite, feeling guilty, and feeling excessively tired and difficulty concentrating. She may even have thoughts of suicide. Unfortunately, because some of these symptoms may be typical for new motherhood, it is sometimes difficult for a diagnosis of post-partum depression to be made.

A woman is especially at risk for post-partum depression if she had depression in the past, has anxiety or has very little support from her partner. Other risk factors include having marital problems, stressful events during her pregnancy, low socioeconomic status, if she is a young mother or if she is lacking in social support. In fact, this condition is very rare in cultures where the mother's only responsibility is taking care of herself and feeding her baby.

Colicky baby

When a mother has post-partum depression, her baby is more likely to have colic, sleep problems and temperamental difficulties. Children are more likely to have mental, behavioural and emotional problems. If it is not treated, it can lead to further problems, such as violent behaviour in children and teenagers. They are also more likely to have medical and psychiatric illnesses.

Post-partum depression may be treated with counselling (psychotherapy) or medications, but the latter appears to be more effective. Fortunately, some of the anti-depressant medications can be safely used by breastfeeding mothers.

Psychosis

Some post-partum women may develop a condition even more severe than post-partum depression known as post-partum psychosis. Symptoms of this condition usually appear within the first two weeks of the baby's birth. Women may be confused, have memory difficulties, may be irritable, anxious, have mood swings, have delusions or paranoid thinking, and may have thoughts about harming their baby. In fact, a woman with post-partum psychosis or even severe post-partum depression is at risk of killing her child.

If you suspect that your loved one who has recently given birth is suffering from one of these mental illnesses, it is important that she get help because two lives may be at risk.

Dr Monique Rainford is a consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.