What is Post-Natal Distress?
Post-natal distress is a type of term describing and incorporating depression and anxiety due to post-natal, the post-natal blues, the post-natal pinks, the post-natal psychosis and the disorder of post-traumatic stress that arises immediately after birth. The main factors that trigger the illness are physical, emotional, social, psychological and hormonal factors.
Risk Factors
Post-natal distress is experienced in many cultures and is accompanied by a number of risk factors that may lead to post-natal distress. Post-natal distress has a number of risk factors such as:
- Anxiety or depression symptoms while pregnant
- A previous record of clinical depression
- A birth experience that is traumatic
- A record of depression in the family
- Having many stresses that are ongoing
- Lack of a partner who offers emotional support
- Lack of the required support from family and friends
Symptoms of Post-Natal Distress
A number of the new mothers are likely to experience post-natal lows or post-natal highs and symptoms. These symptoms are observed immediately after the woman gives birth. There are cases where these symptoms develop and become post-natal depression. This is a common problem in a number of women. Post-natal distress normally manifests while the woman is pregnant but manifests after childbirth. This is generally identified as post-natal depression. However, post-natal distress can also manifest immediately after the women give birth to a child, and it can even arise within the first year after childbirth. In a number of cases, it is observed after a period of six months from the time of birth. A percentage of women exceeding 6% is said to experience birth trauma.
Other symptoms of post-natal distress are:
- Experiencing sleep disturbance
- Change in appetite
- A low mood with a tearful or sad feeling
- A sense of panic
- Losing interest in some activities like sex
- Having thoughts that are negative and obsessive
- Failure to make decisions
- A feeling of being overwhelmed
- Lack of motivation and fatigue
- Problems with memory and losing concentration
- Feeling tired
- Aches, pain and headaches
- A feeling of isolating and withdrawing
- Losing confidence and self-esteem
Symptoms Related to Birth Trauma
The symptoms relating to birth trauma are:
- The inability of remembering an important activity that took place (this condition is known as psychogenic amnesia)
- Having a flashback of the vivid memories, event memories and sudden memories of the traumatic event
- A startled response that is exaggerated
- Fantasies relating to retaliation
- Hypersensitivity directed to injustice, typically after causing trouble and stressors (Hyper-vigilant)
- Avoiding any reminders that are related to the traumatic event
- Always being on guard (Hyper-arousal)
- Having psychological stress that is intense when you encounter the events related to the traumatic event
- An experience of physiological reactivity to the traumatic events
If you are experiencing post-natal distress, know that you are not alone and that there are many professional services that can help you.
