Postpartum Depression: A Woman’s Cry

Postpartum depression affects over ten to twenty percent of women causing then to doubt their natural abilities to raise their children. According to Evelyn S. Miller-Jacoby, “ postpartum depression is any psychiatric disorder in which childbirth is one of the interacting casual agents, a necessary but not sufficient cause.”. Depression affects twice as many men and is more common in women during childbirth age. (aboutourkids.com)

The time after childbirth is an especially vulnerable time for women due to hormonal changes and the stress of caring for a newborn.( aboutourkids.com) Postpartum depression symptoms can also emerge because of unsettled conflicts and inadequate solutions of the past.(Jacoby-Miller) Symptoms of postpartum depression include loss of pleasure, apathy, low energy, sleep and appetite problems, irritability and the disinterest of others.(aboutourkids.com)

Aboutourkids.org states, depression usually occurs in episodes lasting an average of six months. During these episodes women have trouble in nurturing, guiding, and being good role models. Postpartum depression patients are characterized by having unconscious hostility towards their babies and their own mothers. Typical delusions of these women include ideas that the baby is dead or defective. These mothers often become extremely avoidant or anxiously overprotective.(Jacoby-Miller)

In a case study done by Miller-Jacoby, a 27 year-old Mrs. F had violent fantasies of throwing her four months old daughter Valerie, into the fireplace, drowning her during a bath and harming her with a knife. These thoughts only occurred when Mrs. F was alone and was stimulated by such things as seeing a knife in the kitchen.

When Mrs. F and baby Valerie were together they were obviously attached. They played and talked together. Valerie was happy, healthy and preferred her mother over others. Because Mrs. F was able to control herself and no distance was required for Valerie’s safety an anti-depressant was prescribed.

During Mrs. F pregnancy she had severe toxemia, was very fearful of miscarriage, and had to have a cesarean section. After the birth of Valerie, she had jaundice and required fossilization after a flu that lasted several weeks. This is when mrs. F’s symptoms started to occur, when Valerie was one month old.

Mrs. F’s depression resulted when she lost her coping skills and relived unresolved conflicts. Her own mother was an alcoholic and manic depressive. Mrs. F was afraid that she would go crazy as her mother had. She also associated her fear of abandonment with her fear of Valerie’s death. Mrs. F also admitted to feeling angry over Valerie’s night waking and her messiness during feedings. Because of her guilt Mrs. F was oversolictious in Valerie’s care.

During therapy Mrs. F learned how to disassociate herself from her mother and her mother from Valerie. She also learned to tolerate anger without losing self-control and to deal with her negative feelings toward her mother, father and husband.