deviousways

Post Partum Depression—My Story Anjana Sharma (name changed on request) "My pregnancy was unplanned. I got married just out of college. Eight months later,  as I was all set to enroll for an MBA,  I found out I was going to be a mother. I was in  denial. “This cannot be happening,” was my initial reaction. Also, I didn't have the  classic symptoms of pregnancy—nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to smells, etc. In fact,  my pregnancy was easy, it was just difficult emotionally. But by the second trimester, I  slowly came to accept my pregnancy and by the third, I was looking forward to my baby.  I went for Lamaze and ante-natal classes. I intensely wanted a natural birth. A traumatic delivery My labour started the right way—the baby's head descended, but my labour was  extremely protracted. After eight hours, there was no sign of my baby coming out.  I was the perfect patient—calm, not screaming, doing my breathing, so on. And ...

(A couple of days ago I read a story in the UK-based Daily Mail about a UK woman suffering from post-partum depression (PPD) who killed  her two young babies. She underwent treatment and is now back home with the husband who supported her through the tragedy. That got me thinking--how clued in are we about PPD? Do we even wonder why some new moms feel depressed or suicidal? Do we try to understand what makes a new mom harbour thoughts about harming herself or her baby? I think this is a subject all of us need to be aware about.) This is an article I wrote for The Hindu in 2013   M lives in Hyderabad. After her delivery, she underwent the traditional 40-day confinement. Being restricted to a room with just the baby affected her. She began to feel suicidal; thoughts of harming both her baby and herself filled her head.  S is from Delhi. After she had her baby, she experienced severe crying bouts. Doctors at a premier mental health institute diagnosed her as h...