Illustration 142604653 © Robwilson39 | Dreamstime.com Postpartum Depression is a very narrow term that encompasses a broad spectrum of mental health disorders that affect 20% of women during pregnancy and up to one year after the baby is born. If you did not know this, you are not alone. I am an OB/GYN and my training only taught me to look out for severely depressed moms who had thoughts of killing themselves or their babies. So when I developed severe anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive behaviors I had no clue that this was not just the hyper-vigilance of a new mom. I thought it was normal to not be able to fall asleep and to imagine every possible scenario in which my child may get hurt. I thought it would get better as my daughter got older but when she started crawling and putting things in her mouth I constantly imagined she would choke on something or poison herself. I almost gave into the industry created just for people like myself- professional baby proofers who for thousands of dollars baby proof your home so that every possible disaster scenario can be avoided. I doubt this would have assuaged my anxiety however as the mind has a way of then moving on to the next readily available disaster scenario. My friends teased me because now that I was a mom I went to bed at 8pm. This was because I was so exhausted from constantly being on high alert that I could not function by evening. It eventually got to the point that I could no longer enjoy a lot of the activities I used to or the normal moments with my daughter without preparing for what may happen and my anxiety became compounded by depression. Ironically it was living in the epicenter of the COVID pandemic that finally gave me the path to reclaim my sanity. The stress of COVID accelerated the decompensation of my mental health. I became so run down that I had no energy to get through the day and I could not focus very well. I began to worry that I was suffering from autoimmune disease or cancer. I had a low point and I was forced to start searching for answers.
Postpartum Depression: It’s Bigger than you Think
Postpartum Depression: It’s Bigger than you…
Postpartum Depression: It’s Bigger than you Think
Illustration 142604653 © Robwilson39 | Dreamstime.com Postpartum Depression is a very narrow term that encompasses a broad spectrum of mental health disorders that affect 20% of women during pregnancy and up to one year after the baby is born. If you did not know this, you are not alone. I am an OB/GYN and my training only taught me to look out for severely depressed moms who had thoughts of killing themselves or their babies. So when I developed severe anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive behaviors I had no clue that this was not just the hyper-vigilance of a new mom. I thought it was normal to not be able to fall asleep and to imagine every possible scenario in which my child may get hurt. I thought it would get better as my daughter got older but when she started crawling and putting things in her mouth I constantly imagined she would choke on something or poison herself. I almost gave into the industry created just for people like myself- professional baby proofers who for thousands of dollars baby proof your home so that every possible disaster scenario can be avoided. I doubt this would have assuaged my anxiety however as the mind has a way of then moving on to the next readily available disaster scenario. My friends teased me because now that I was a mom I went to bed at 8pm. This was because I was so exhausted from constantly being on high alert that I could not function by evening. It eventually got to the point that I could no longer enjoy a lot of the activities I used to or the normal moments with my daughter without preparing for what may happen and my anxiety became compounded by depression. Ironically it was living in the epicenter of the COVID pandemic that finally gave me the path to reclaim my sanity. The stress of COVID accelerated the decompensation of my mental health. I became so run down that I had no energy to get through the day and I could not focus very well. I began to worry that I was suffering from autoimmune disease or cancer. I had a low point and I was forced to start searching for answers.