Postnatal depression is a condition that can affect any woman after giving birth. It is a normal condition that can occur as a result of the hormones that are released during pregnancy and after childbirth. Postpartum depression can last for several weeks or months and can be very difficult to overcome. Women who experience postnatal depression may feel depressed, helpless and powerless.

What to do when you suspect postnatal depression?

Postnatal depression can affect a woman of any age.

It is important that she see a doctor. Most women do not see a doctor and this is usually due to:

• the fact that women suffering from postnatal depression are not aware of their illness
• they do not understand the illness that has affected them
• they are afraid of being isolated from their child,
• fear of being treated as mentally ill, unbalanced, aggressive by their immediate environment

There are cases where the sick person does not know who to go to, who to talk to about their problem and is not fully aware of what is happening to them and where it is coming from. In such cases, it is advisable to contact a general practitioner or gynaecologist and then to see a psychologist and a psychotherapist. Do not underestimate your condition and wait for the situation to change on its own.

What factors can cause postnatal depression?

There are factors that can cause postnatal depression. These factors include:

• Biological and biochemical - these factors include those related to the structure and function of the central nervous system (CNS) and include hormones and their respective levels and neurotransmitters (neurotransmitters). Mothers who have recently given birth process negative emotions differently to other mothers and, importantly, mothers with postnatal depression have reduced activity in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and a negative relationship between distress severity and left amygdala activity.
• Social, psychosocial
• Psychological, psychiatric characteristics - it has been shown that women who have had episodes of mood disorders, depression or those with bipolar affective disorder before and during pregnancy may experience episodes of postpartum depression after counselling.
• Factors related to past pregnancy and childbirth
• A woman's life situation also plays a significant role when we talk about postnatal depression. Any stressful situation, medication, uncertainty, any life changes during pregnancy and in the postnatal period can have an impact on the development of postnatal depression, as they affect the mental state.
• Psychological predisposition - women who have had difficulties getting pregnant, experienced miscarriages, stillbirths, difficult pregnancies or very difficult, long, complicated and exhausting births are particularly at risk of developing postnatal depression as they focus on the past during pregnancy and birth. Sometimes during pregnancy, women worry that they will give birth to a sick or disabled child, that something will happen to the child during pregnancy or that they will not be fulfilled as a mother.
• Emotional maturity - there are situations where a woman is simply not ready to become a mother, and is therefore unable to cope with her situation.
• Financial situation and relationships with family and friends - women who have the support of their partner, family and relatives feel comfortable, safe and secure. This state of affairs has a very positive effect on a woman's well-being. When a woman does not have such support, she feels lonely, frightened, insecure and unsure of herself and her abilities, and this promotes the development of the disorder and even exacerbates its symptoms.

Postnatal depression is often left untreated, which has been shown to lead to very lasting changes in a woman's psyche, partner and family life.

Many women do not seek specialist help and, as it turns out, various therapies could help them a lot. Family and close friends play a special role here, as well as specialist medical care for women, appropriate treatment and meeting their needs.

It is important to explain to pregnant women what postnatal depression is, what to do if they notice worrying symptoms, what to do and whether they can help themselves (maternal education).