World Breastfeeding Week 2021: Understanding Breastfeeding and Postnatal Depression

Bombay: In women’s lives, the postpartum period is the most demanding period in terms of physical, mental and emotional health. Primi or a New Mother goes through a roller coaster of emotions as a new bundle of joy and happiness comes with exhaustion, anxiety and sobs. The postpartum or baby blues is different from the postpartum depression (PPD) which is a transient depression. It is observed in 50 to 80% of women after two to three days of childbirth and disappears 10 to 12 days after childbirth. It is self-limiting and mild with temporary symptoms of negative feelings, tearing, and mood swings.

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While postpartum depression can start anytime during the first year after childbirth. If the baby blues lasts longer than 2 weeks, it may be an indicator of postpartum depression. The cause of DPP is unclear. Hormonal and physical changes after birth and the stress of caring for a new baby play an important role. There may be several risk factors for PPD such as depression or anxiety during pregnancy, perfectionism or fear of making a mistake, traumatic birth experience, premature birth, admission of an infant to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), breastfeeding problems, among others.

Symptoms of PPD are sad mood, anger, guilt, crying, anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure in normal pleasurable activity), difficulty sleeping – unrelated to infant care, fatigue, inability to concentrate, hopelessness and the thought of death.

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Breastfeeding can protect a mother’s mental health, but breastfeeding problems can increase the risk of depression. When a depressed mother breastfeeds a baby, it protects her baby from the damaging effects of depression and the child’s mental health is protected throughout childhood. The mother is less likely to abuse and neglect her child. It decreases the stress of the mother and increases the release of oxytocin and the hormone prolactin. Oxytocin is a love hormone that helps reduce maternal anxiety and promotes mother-child bonding. While the hormone prolactin induces and improves sleep, because sleep disturbances and depression go hand in hand.

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Breastfeeding mothers have the benefit of having deeper slow wave sleep, which reduces daytime fatigue and they only take a few minutes to fall asleep. Taking a long time to fall asleep can be a high risk factor or predictor of depression compared to compound foods or infant formula. There is a myth in a family that by providing infant formula to the infant a mother will sleep more, but the reverse is true.

Milk production, problems latching on, nipple pain are some more common causes of postpartum depression which leads to stopping breastfeeding, which can negatively impact the health of the mother. and the child.

Breastfeeding can become an enjoyable experience by enlisting the help of a lactation consultant, who can help resolve breastfeeding issues and issues by formulating a simple feeding plan and protecting the mental health of the mother. .

If nighttime feeding is difficult enough for a mother for whom sleep interruption is a major trigger for mood symptoms, then in such cases a caregiver may give expressed breast milk to an infant with milk. wati or a wati spoon and put him back to sleep. so that the mother can sleep five to six hours without interruption.

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Lifestyle factors can prevent and treat milder symptoms of depression. Encourage the mother to eat healthy foods, exercise, practice mindfulness, and avoid tobacco and alcohol use. If a mother is taking antidepressants, most medications are compatible with breastfeeding. Awareness and education can effectively address the stigma associated with maternal depression and anxiety by rejecting negative labels, reducing personal shame, self-blame and guilt, thereby paving the way for affected women. to seek help and treatment.

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(Dr Mansi Shah is a lactation consultant at Jaslok Hospital and Research Center in Mumbai.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV assumes no responsibility in this regard.

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