Mental Needs for Nursing Mothers Suffering from Postpartum Depression

Mental Needs for Nursing Mothers Suffering from Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression, also known as postnatal depression, is the name given to a disorder that nursing mothers may face when dealing with their newborn child. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include, “loss of appetite, insomnia, intense irritability and anger, overwhelming fatigue, loss of interest in sex, lack of joy in life, feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy, severe mood swings, difficulty bonding with your baby, withdrawal from family and friends, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby,”(Mayo Clinic Staff 1). Although postpartum depression was classified as a disorder in the 1850’s, it has been written in history as far back as the times of Hippocrates; in 700 BC, Hippocrates wrote about women who were afflicted with depression during their postpartum period. Even though the disorder was medically evaluated and classified in the nineteenth century, many women were still afraid to speak out about their thoughts and feelings on depression because they were considered neurotic and often treated with either shock-therapy or valium. The thought of others perceiving them as crazy was enough to hold them back on bringing their issue of postpartum depression about. In first world countries like the U.S., postpartum depression can be acknowledged as an actual chemical imbalance in the brain, thus, considering it a disorder. Even though the information is relevant to all walks of life, some cultures, like the Indian culture,still uphold traditional cultural values when it comes to diagnosing illnesses like depression. By creating an awareness video and website on postpartum depression in Malayalam and English, the primary languages spoken in Kerala, India, I hope to expand knowledge on postnatal disorder to mothers, fathers, and families so that the depression can be treated accurately and efficiently. There are many types of postpartum mental illness’ besides postpartum