Life changes drastically after becoming a mother. More than half of the day is spent taking care of the child. and self-care takes a backseat. Yet mothers also need rest after childbirth. But is taking care of the body enough? Who will understand the mind of a new mother?
Postpartum depression — new mothers can also suffer from mental depression after giving birth. Daily routines change after childbirth. A lot of pressure has to be handled single-handedly all at once. Many mothers forget about themselves while taking responsibility for newborns. But fighting postpartum depression is not easy.
Mood remains irritable, tears come repeatedly, there's loss of appetite, the mind stays upset all the time. Even though there's an umbilical connection with the newborn, there's no desire to stay with them. There are many incidents in society where a new mother has killed her newborn. In many such cases, psychologists have blamed postpartum blues or postpartum depression.
An imbalance appears in the brain after delivery. Along with that, lifestyle changes. Neither proper sleep happens, nor proper eating. This change brings mental depression. Clinical psychologist Urmi Chattopadhyay says, "Recognizing the symptoms of postpartum depression is more important than its causes. Restlessness, irritable nature, annoyance, frequent crying, getting angry easily, and above all, negative thoughts about one's own child circling in the mind — such symptoms appear."
In postpartum depression, sleep increases excessively or doesn't happen at all, appetite increases greatly or there's no hunger at all, unexplained abnormal pain occurs in various parts of the body — such physical symptoms also manifest, the psychologist has informed.
But not every mother will necessarily become a victim of postpartum depression. "Women who have a history of stress or mental health issues may see increased occurrence of postpartum depression. Besides, so much hormonal fluctuation occurs in the body during pregnancy, and the massive hormonal changes that occur in the body after delivery lead to postpartum depression," states Urmi. From Neha Dhupia to Alia Bhatt, Shilpa Shetty, Samira Reddy — many Bollywood stars have spoken about this postpartum depression.
Social worker Piya Chakraborty became a mother five months ago. Most of her day is also spent with little Nodi. What is she saying about postpartum depression? Piya says, "Postpartum depression is an invisible thing. Society assumes that because a woman has become a mother, she is fine. Mental, physical, and environmental changes come after becoming a mother, but these are not discussed. The concepts about motherhood that exist in our society are imposed so heavily during this time that no one understands the new mother's feelings."
Postpartum depression may not happen to everyone. But Piya believes everyone should keep track of the mental health of new mothers after delivery. She says, "During this time, both body and mind should be taken care of equally. She should be asked how she is doing. What is she feeling now?"
Piya's statement: "The biggest problem with postpartum depression is loneliness. During this time, it becomes impossible for anyone to understand exactly what goes on in our lives. During this time, we become busy with the newborn, almost disconnected from the outside world, which makes us lonely. During this time, people around need to be more supportive, need to stand by the new mother."
Family support alone is not enough. If this depression keeps increasing, it can be harmful for both mother and child. The negative thoughts about the child that develop in the mother's mind can also lead to bad consequences. "To recover from postpartum depression, counseling must be done. One must go to a therapist. If medication is needed, then help from a psychiatrist must also be taken," states psychologist Urmi. Therefore, new mothers must take care of their body and mind along with their child.
