Dealing with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Estimates indicate that somewhere between ten and thirteen percent of women who deliver babies experience postpartum depression and sometimes, anxiety. Anxiety and postpartum depression often go hand-in-hand simply because of the immense life changes that occur with the arrival of a baby. Even in women with no previous history of depression, worries about being a good mother, unrealistic expectations of themselves, massive hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and childbirth, and the financial changes that often accompany parenthood can combine to create a situation where postpartum depression and anxiety can lead to overwhelming feelings of helplessness, fear, sadness, listlessness, sleep difficulties, and paralyzing disinterest in activities that you once found enjoyable and interesting.