Postnatal depression
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Postnatal depression is very common, affecting at least one in ten new mothers and one in 14 fathers, but many can suffer in silence because their condition is not recognised or dismissed as simply the ‘baby blues’. Postnatal depression is an illness, and although it is not known for certain what causes it, some experts believe that the sudden change in hormones after the birth may trigger the condition. Getting postnatal depression is not failing and nor is it related to how capable a person is, it is an illness.
When does postnatal depression develop?
It usually develops within the first four to six weeks, but can start even several months following childbirth and can emerge at any time during the first year. It comes on either gradually or all of a sudden, and can range from being relatively mild to hard-hitting. Postnatal depression is still an illness that is not widely understood by mums who experience it or by their family and friends. In fact, it is often viewed with sh...
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