Is postpartum depression just pretentious?

This is the 4672nd article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

After giving birth, some mothers often get grumpy or cry silently. When new mothers confide in their husbands or family members, they often receive responses such as "Isn't it the same for women when giving birth?" or "Why are you so hypocritical?" But in fact, this may be a symptom of postpartum depression, a common psychological and behavioral abnormality during the postpartum period, which may even have serious consequences if not handled in time.

1. Symptoms of postpartum depression

If mothers experience 5 or more of the following symptoms 2 weeks after delivery, and at least one of them is low mood or lack of interest, and it lasts for more than two weeks, then they may be suffering from postpartum depression.

1. Feeling depressed and down.

2. A marked lack of interest or pleasure in all or most activities, and a feeling that life is dull and boring.

3. Appetite increases or decreases significantly, and weight changes are obvious.

4. Insomnia or excessive sleep.

5. Psychomotor retardation: The thinking process is slow, which manifests as a passive and lazy life, bedridden and unwilling to do things or work, or unwilling to participate in usual activities and avoid social activities; Psychomotor excitement: The brain is in a tense state, which manifests as irritability, clenched fingers, and repetitive and uncontrollable movements.

6. Feeling tired or weak.

7. Feeling that everything is meaningless or guilty, often blaming oneself unconsciously and lacking self-confidence.

8. Inability to concentrate, decreased thinking ability or lack of attention.

9. Recurring thoughts of suicide.

2. Why does postpartum depression occur?

The causes of postpartum depression are relatively complex and are generally believed to be related to three aspects: biological factors, psychological factors, and social factors.

01 Biological factors

1. During pregnancy and childbirth, the endocrine environment undergoes great changes. Estrogen reaches its highest level before childbirth, and pregnant women feel happy and joyful. However, a sudden decrease in hormone secretion after childbirth may lead to maternal depression symptoms.

2. The pain and discomfort caused by complications during and after delivery, dystocia, delayed labor, etc. make the mother feel nervous and fearful, which is also a cause that cannot be ignored;

3. Genetic factors: the incidence rate is higher in mothers with a family history of mental disorders.

02Psychological factors

1. The personality characteristics of the mother are an important factor. Postpartum depression is more common in people who are sensitive, emotionally unstable, strong-willed, stubborn, and have poor social skills.

2. The mother will experience temporary psychological "degeneration" one month after giving birth and will be in an emotionally fragile stage. The mother's expectations for the baby, her lack of adaptation to the upcoming role of mother, her unfamiliarity with everything related to taking care of the baby, etc., all these psychological pressures on the mother will lead to emotional disorders.

03 Social factors

1. Lack of support from family and society, especially from husbands and elders. Family disharmony during pregnancy and after childbirth, and indifference from relatives are important factors that trigger postpartum depression;

2. Adverse events during pregnancy and after childbirth such as unemployment, death of relatives, poor economic conditions, etc. can also lead to postpartum depression.

3. Prevention and treatment of postpartum depression

The prevention of postpartum depression does not start after childbirth, but should start from pregnancy, pregnancy preparation, or even marriage. Why do I say that? Because postpartum depression is caused by a combination of physical, psychological, environmental, and family factors, and it does not happen suddenly overnight. Although some patients seem to develop the disease suddenly, it is actually caused by many conflicts that have been accumulated for a long time under related inducing conditions.

01 Psychological adjustment

1. Give yourself more positive suggestions and say to yourself more often, "I can do it" and "I did a great job";

2. Learn to avoid troubles and temporarily divert your attention to pleasant things. Give yourself 15 minutes of time every day that is completely your own.

3. Change roles in a timely manner, becoming a new mother while still being the daughter of the parents and the wife of the husband, and learn to enjoy the rights as a wife and daughter;

4. Having children is not the only way for women to realize themselves, gain a sense of accomplishment in their careers, and get rid of depression.

02 Support from family and friends

The understanding and care of the husband and the care of the family are of great significance to the new mother. Taking care of the children is by no means the sole responsibility of the mother. The husband should learn parenting knowledge, share housework, give his wife her own space, and pay attention to his wife's emotional changes. If he finds that she has depressive tendencies, he should actively enlighten her and provide timely psychological counseling. A good relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and the care of good friends will also promote the emotional recovery of new mothers.

IV. TCM Tips

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that postpartum depression falls into the category of "depression syndrome", and liver qi stagnation is its main cause. Therefore, the treatment is mainly to soothe the liver and relieve depression, nourish the heart and calm the mind. Here we mainly introduce some acupoints.

01 Taichong : On the dorsum of the foot, between the first and second metatarsal bones, in the depression in front of the junction of the bases of the toes, the dorsalis pedis artery can be felt.

02 Qimen : On the chest, directly below the nipple, in the 6th intercostal space, 4 inches lateral to the anterior midline.

03Shenmen : Located at the wrist, at the ulnar end of the palmar wrist line, in the radial depression of the ulnar flexor carpi tendon.

04 Neiguan : On the palm side of the forearm, 2 inches above the transverse wrist crease, between the palmaris longus tendon and the radial flexor carpi tendon.

05 Baihui : Located at the center of the top of the head, the midpoint of the line connecting the two ear corners.

06 Sanyinjiao : On the inner side of the calf, 3 inches above the tip of the inner ankle, behind the inner edge of the tibia.

07 Ear acupoint location :

Shenmen - in the upper part of the posterior 1/3 of the triangular fossa;

Endocrine.--In the intertragus notch, at the floor of the cavum conchae;

Heart - the most concave part in the center of the concha cavity;

Liver - located in the lower and posterior part of the concha, behind the stomach and duodenum.

operate

Moxibustion: You can hang a moxa stick 2-3cm above the acupuncture point and smoke it until the local area feels warm but without burning pain. Do each acupuncture point for 15-20 minutes, until the local skin feels warm and flushed, but avoid burns.

Massage: Thumb kneading method: press the acupoints with the tip of the thumb and knead in a circular motion. The strength should be determined by the feeling of soreness and swelling. Do it 50 to 100 times per minute and continue for 3 to 5 minutes.

Ear acupoint operation: You can choose ear acupoint patches containing fenugreek seeds and stick them on the ear acupoints with your hands.

Tips

Postpartum depression is not scary and the prognosis is generally good. The vast majority of patients can recover well by taking timely preventive and therapeutic measures and adjusting their mood. In addition, if the depression is more serious or the above methods cannot relieve it, you must seek medical treatment and help from a professional doctor in time.

Acupuncture and Health Column

Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Acupuncture, Massage and Rehabilitation

Professor Chang Xiaorong's team

Author: Xu Xuan