Mental disorders during pregnancy and postpartum

During pregnancy and after the time of labor, many women suffer from " contrary fruit ". Without sharing concerns, these changes can lead to mental disorders with severe symptoms.

(Photo: SK & D)

It is not wrong for people to remain "for the opposite, the fruit like a pregnant girl ", because during this time the woman has psychological and emotional changes. They become irritable, change their moods, memory declines, reduce their attention, reduce abstract thinking and creativity. Pregnant women are tired, nausea, poor appetite, insomnia, especially in the first months of pregnancy.

In the postpartum period, psychiatric disorders are less common and often appear about 6 weeks after birth, with different levels:

Mild depression : After giving birth about 3-4 days, the mother may cry often without obvious cause; have an overly anxious attitude towards a newly born child or for yourself. Tired body. The activities of the mother become very difficult, even breastfeeding is also very clumsy.

Severe depression : At first, the mother felt anxious, then became sad, irrationally irritable, had strange behaviors with her new baby and other children.

Behavioral disorder : Usually begins within 2 weeks after giving birth. Mothers often manifest as: Loss of orientation to space and time; sad, crying without cause, may have excessive worries for fear of dangerous diseases. In addition, they do not take the initiative in themselves, dirty personal hygiene, dress up badly, can have rough and offensive behaviors to those around them. The relationship of mother and child is also disturbed. The mother does not accept her child. Heavier, the mother can leave, or torture, even kill or commit suicide. These disorders are neglected or unaware of the mother after stable disease.

Pregnancy depression test

To determine if you or your loved one has depressive symptoms, answer the questions below. If there are 5 'yes' answers then go to the doctor.

For 2 consecutive weeks, the following symptoms often appear:

- Difficulty sleeping, getting less sleep, getting up early, or sleeping a lot?

- Feeling tired or losing energy, losing energy, sluggish?

- Eating loss, eating less or eating too much?

- Loss of interest, interest or loss of interest in activities, work, entertainment?

- Feeling sad, sad or upset?

- The thought of being depressed, surrendering, leaving yourself or your family, thinking of yourself not being worthy or accusing yourself?

- Difficulty when focusing on something, such as reading newspapers or watching television?

- Feeling uneasy, restless, standing still, worried more than usual, or speaking and moving more slowly than usual makes people around you notice?

During those two weeks, you used to think about wanting to die or want to hurt yourself. Or do you have thoughts of dissatisfaction with life, boring life?

You often worry about disorders in your body (headache, abdominal pain, chest pain, palpitations, vomiting, muscle pain, sweating .)?

How to help?

In order to help these women, husbands and relatives need to care, monitor their encouragement to overcome the difficult period, take care of the new little angel to be healthy.

During pregnancy, if there are mild disorders, the mother needs encouragement and support from her husband and family. Pregnant women need to be rested, comfortable and gentle. If there are severe mental disorders, it is necessary to be referred to specialized clinics.

In the postpartum period, people with mild depression if advised, encouraged, and supported will return to normal. Only about 15% prolong depression until years. These cases need to be taken to mental health clinics for prescription antidepressants.

Cases of severe depression and behavioral disorders should be included in mental health clinics for treatment. When the disease is temporarily stable, the mother needs support to avoid guilt. About the consequences they cause during the illness, if needed, should be informed slowly.

Doctor Nguyen Chien Thang