is it possible to have postpartum depression to show up 1 full year after the birth of baby?
Posted by Midwife | Filed under Resources
My beautiful wife is full time stay home mom to 3 wonderful (but often stress causing) kids, and she's taking classes part time.
I work zillion hours a week to make ends meet, and as much as i try, I don't do enough around the house to make her job any easier.
She's showing many signs of depression… low energy, short fuse with the kids, body aches etc.. could she be going through postpartum depression, or could this be depression unrelated to having a baby, exactly a year ago?
14 Responses to “is it possible to have postpartum depression to show up 1 full year after the birth of baby?”
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Yes. And she will need to go and see someone or it will just get worse.
Well it could definitely be depression, but its hard to say if its pregnancy related a year later. Perhaps its always been there and has just gotten progressively worse? Either way, get her to visit her doctor and talk about her concerns.
Probably not post partum but depression never the less. She needs to talk to her doctor about getting some medication to help with this.
if she has or had never expereinced depression before in her life…then it is totaly possable that this COULD be a form of postpartum depression
i was told i had postpartum depression and my youngest is 3…but it all depends on what has gone on in your life… alot of stuff happened in between the births of my children…to make my theripist think i had post partum depression.your wife would need to go to her obgyn and discuss it with them or if she has a theripist even better.
good luck…see if you can get some help from family babysitting every once in a while…it might help relieve some stress
yes "baby blues" as they call it can happen anytime in a mothers life, its all the do with our hormones im afraid, its a terrible thing depression, something that i have struggled with all my life , i have 2 babies, whom i love with all my heart and soul, but i get days where all i want to do is run away from it all, and other days i can be on top of the world, i suggest u talk to your wife and see if she will go for some counselling, and maybe some mild anti-depressents, but first she needs to go and see a health proffesional to rule anything else out, like early menopause, etc etc, i wish you all the best, and i hope she feels better soon
xxx
Sometimes a woman might get a diagnosis of post partum depression and later get a diagnosis of Major Depression. I don't think the doctor would still call it postpartum depression that long after the baby was born.
It is not postpartum depression that is a major concern but instead postpartum psychosis. Please look into that possibility as it has been so long.
God Bless, dear supportive husband!
http://www.epigee.org/pregnancy/ppd.html
It could still be postpartum depression, even though your child was born a year ago as it can take a while to develop and be picked up on. It could also be depression that is unrelated to having a baby or it could be stress or even she is just a little run down. The only person who could really say is a Dr or someone like that.
I think the important thing here is that you have recognized there is a problem. Try talking to her about this, let her know that you realize how difficult things are for her right now and you appreciate all she is doing, looking after the kids, keeping the house straight etc. See if she would be willing to go and see someone about this and get some help and support for herself. This will benefit both of you, as obviously if you are at work all hours and also worrying about your wife and kids you are likely to ed up suffering with stress as well.
Good Luck!
It sounds like she's in a slump. Post partum usually happens within a few weeks or months of having a baby. Try giving her a change of scenery, like a romantic weekend or something. You can also try talking to her. See what you can do to help her through this. Good luck. You sound like a good husband.
Yes, usually it doesn't occur right after.
i'm not really sure but i would say yes it never really goes away if it's left untreated
I would say depression or stress from being home with the kids. Its very difficult to take care of three small children. She is also probably not around adults enough and is losing her self esteem. You should try to take her away for a weekend alone without the kids. Let her and you reconnect and have some alone time!
It could be postpartum depression. It can happen at any time after a woman has a baby. I guess you should just try to make her feel better like cooking every once in a while or taking the kids for the day if you don't have to work and let her have a day to herself to regroup.
I agree with the general sentiment here that regardless of the cause, the important thing is to get help.
RE: Postpartum Depression – onset can generally be anytime in the first year (and it is not the same as "baby blues" – which is limited to a 2 week duration). If she is that depressed and baby is 1 yr old my guess is that her depression started some time ago. (I don't know the length of time, but my guess is that she did not just wake up on Baby's birthday and suddenly begin acting this way.)
Also, importantly — in response to Jen G who wrote:
"It is not postpartum depression that is a major concern but instead postpartum psychosis. Please look into that possibility as it has been so long."
First, BOTH postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are MAJOR concerns. Second – the difference between the two is not based on length of time but is based on symptoms. A person w/ postpartum psychosis has a break with reality (ie: hallucination would be one). BOTH of these conditions can be incapacitating and even deadly. But it is important to understand the difference.
If you want to understand more about Postpartum Psychosis, you can get my book: Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: A Temporary Madness. I'm on a crusade to save lives by educating others about this illness.