Hormones Hormones can affect our mood. The 'third day
baby blues' are part of female folklore and an all-too-real
experience for many women who have just given birth.
This intense depression, caused by sudden drops
in the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone
- is usually short-lived.
However, giving birth may trigger an intense, debilitating
illness called post-natal depression which
develops during the first few weeks or months. As
many as one in 10 women suffer from post-natal depression,
with many remaining undiagnosed because the mother
is unaware that she is suffering from an illness,
or because health workers fail to spot her symptoms.
Many mothers sufferingpost-natal depression
wrongly blame themselves for being inadequate or
'bad' mothers when it is really their depression
which is making it hard to cope. It's vitally important
to recognise this form of depression, as it can
cause trouble to two lives - the mother and her
child. Treatment includes supportive counselling
and antidepressant medication.
If you are a mother who is finding it hard to cope,
discuss your feelings with a doctor, social worker,
counsellor or women's health nurse. Post-natal depression
is an illness which can be treated.
