A Common Reality: Postpartum Depression

Bringing home a baby is supposed to be a joyous experience. At least this is the expectation that most of us have, but what happens when the harsh reality of late night feedings, exhaustion, and a screaming baby become part of your everyday life. Instead of finding happiness in cuddling your new bundle of joy, you are tearful and overwhelmed by the experience of becoming a mother. The truth is that these types of feelings are shared by many women that are home for the first few weeks after having a new baby. Hormonal changes from pregnancy and still returning to normal making it easier to feel overwhelmed and cry at any moment. For most women this gets better within two weeks of having your baby.

Occasionally, these emotions do not get better and may last longer than two weeks. Women may continue to experience episodes of crying and of being overwhelmed. Symptoms may progress to feelings of depression such as hopelessness, loss of interest in enjoyable activities, sleeping all the time, not taking care of yourself or the baby, not eating, and withdrawing from friends and family . It may also be common for women to have feelings that they are not bonding well with the baby and even have feelings of hurting themselves or their baby. It is important to know that you are not alone. It is not something that you should feel embarrassed or ashamed about. An estimated 5-25% of women experience postpartum depression and it can start at any time during the first year after the birth of a baby. There is hope and it is important to talk to your health care provider about treatment options. Your health care provider may prescribe depression medication to help regulate your hormones until they return to pre-pregnancy levels. Mental health professionals that specialize in postpartum depression can also be a good source of hope and support.

I recently came across a new book called "Why I Jumped: My True Story of Postpartum Depression, Dramatic Rescue & Return to Hope" by Tina Zahn. This amazing story is the true story of a woman who suffered with postpartum depression after the birth of her child. Her depression became so severe that she completely isolated herself from her family, friends, and new baby. She compares her feelings during that time in her life as losing all hope. At her lowest point, Zahn drove her car to a large bridge in Green Bay, Wisconsin intending to take her own life by jumping over the edge. In a life changing moment, a state trooper held on to Zahn at the last minute after she jumped over the edge. This heroic act saved her life and she has since recovered and dedicated her life to helping other women with postpartum depression. It is a brilliant story to give women suffering with postpartum depression hope again.
Here is the video of her actual suicide attempt recorded by the state troopers camera that saved her life.