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Filed under: Just For Moms, Your Pregnancy, Health & Safety: Babies
Maybe you or a friend were depressed following the birth of your child. This can be a normal reaction when the depression goes away after a few days. However, what if you experience postpartum depression? If you do, you may think you can muddle through--especially if you are a Scientologist--but will your parenting skills suffer? A recent study in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry evaluated whether treatment intervention for postpartum depression would reduce maternal parenting stress levels. Twenty-three mothers referred for postpartum mood and anxiety disorder were included in the study. Statistical and clinically significant decreases in levels of parenting stress were evident at the end of treatment. Subjects' perceptions of their parenting characteristics were found to be a major contributor to stress levels. The authors concluded that in monitoring of depressive symptoms, routine assessment of maternal parenting qualities is recommended to ensure healthy child outcomes.Okay, maybe I shouldn't knock the Scientologist movement, but direct my thoughts to the comments of Tom Cruise. The article did leave me wondering: Did the extra parenting skills improve the patient's depression? It seems that it may have. What do you think?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
8-04-2006 @ 1:30PM
Anna V. said...I think it would depend on the level of depression in the mom. For me, when I was recommended a parenting class, it made me fall deeper into depression because I thought 'not only am I a bad mother for being depressed, but they think I don't even know how to take care of my kids.' However, I think it would help moms who are on the upper-levels of ppd.
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8-04-2006 @ 2:45PM
Rachel said...I am a Scientologist and had what would probably be called PPD 3 weeks after my daughter was born.
I saw my natural health practitioner and was found to be low on B1 (a major emotional booster) as well as having candida resulting from 2 courses of antibiotics at the end of my pregnancy.
Funny enough my daughter had "colic" at the same time. She was treated by the same doctor and had candida as well from the antibiotics I took. We were both put on probiotics.
After 2 days I was back to normal. After a week her "colic" was gone.
I felt like a bad mother because I couldn't get her to stop crying, which made my emotions all the worse.
So it probably has some merit.
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8-04-2006 @ 2:54PM
Rachel said...Let me add that at no time did my treatment include psychotropic drugs and it never would.
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8-05-2006 @ 10:40AM
George said...Interestingly, there is some evidence that adoptive mothers have depression when dealing with a colicky baby. The myth in our society is that good mothers just know exactly what their baby needs. Ergo, "failure" to stop crying or to develop the Gerger baby bond, means you are not one of the "good" mothers.
So, not only are you exhausted, beset by the normal hormonal adjustments and adjusting to the demands of life with a new baby, but you have evidence that you can't handle the basic things that every other mother can do. So, which do you choose: depression or denial?
The reality is that nearly every mother has moments, if not minutes, days and hours, of doubt and despair.
At the very least, teaching parents skills simply acknowledges that they share common problems with the rest of us.
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