There postpartum depression would affect between 20 and 30% of mothers according to different studies. The 2021 edition of the National Perinatal Survey (ENP) revealed that 16.7% of French women presented symptoms of postnatal depression two months after childbirth. This postnatal depression is very different from baby blues which affects between 50 and 80% of women. “There are two main differences between the two in terms of temporality and intensity”informs Chloé Bédouet, initially a pediatric and neonatology nurse, now a perinatal consultant
Baby blues or postpartum depression?
“The baby blues is a physiological state linked to the drop in hormones, the return home, fatigue… It begins three days after childbirth and lasts a maximum of 15 days”, informs Chloé Bédouet. Postpartum depression lasts much longerwith a self-term of 18 months if unsupported. “It can start soon after childbirth but can also occur later, during the child’s first year of life”, explains Chloé Bédouet. Two peaks were identified: at 6-8 weeks postpartum and at 6-8 months postpartum.
Some women are more at risk than others to develop such depression. “The major risk factors are a history of depression or personal or family psychiatric disorders. Other risk factors for postpartum depression include stressful life events (complicated childhood, domestic violence, but also things less marked like a move), isolation and a lack of marital or family support, a personality in control and self-control…”, describes Cholé Bédouet who specifies: “Postnatal depression is multifactorial in general, but in some women there are only a few factors that are not always significant”.
Postpartum depression: a mental disorder to be treated
In addition to a difference in duration, postnatal depression is characterized by a much more severe than the baby blues. “This is manifested by emotional lability (going from laughter to tears), hypersensitivity, irritability but does not prevent the mother from “functioning” on a daily basis and does not lead to a loss of pleasure for everything”, explains this specialist on the subject who warns us that postpartum depression is a depressive disorder without psychotic characteristics.
Symptoms specific to postpartum depression also make it possible to make the difference with a baby blues when depression occurs very quickly after childbirth. This is particularly the case of impulse phobias. “The mother sees herself hurting her baby. This disorder, which is part of the OCD family, is a way of expressing anxieties and makes it a very protective mechanism”, says Chloé Bédouet. These impulse phobias are very destabilizing and make you feel guilty, but you should know that there is never any acting out. “The mother’s anxieties are so important that they have to come out by some means”, explains our expert. There are therefore symptoms of “classic” depression in postnatal depression but also warning signs around the role of mother and baby.
Maternal postnatal depression: what to do?
A mother who shows signs of postnatal depression should be able to speak to a health professional she trusts and who is receptive (receptive): her midwife, her doctor, her gynecologist. The recent establishment of a compulsory early postnatal maintenance between 4 and 8 weeks after delivery should also allow identification of women with signs of postpartum depression. In addition, there is the Maman Blues association which offers mothers the opportunity to exchange with each other thanks to its discussion forum under the moderation of volunteers but also through face-to-face or remote discussion groups. These times of sharing have all their interest. “If we take the case of impulse phobias, verbalizing what we are experiencing and understanding what it is and why it happens allows us to no longer be paralyzed by these manifestations of anxiety”, emphasizes Chloé Bédouet.
The management will depend on the intensity of the postnatal depression. For some mothers, hospitalization may be necessary in mother-baby unit (or in psychiatry to manage the acute crisis of this disorder). Drug treatment based on antidepressants and anxiolytics will be a crutch to start therapy.
Thanks to Chloé Bédouet, founder of evil of mothers (@mal_de_meres) and co-author with Elise Marcende, President of Mom Bluesof Postpartum depression The hidden face of motherhood (Editions Larousse, January 2023), a book on postpartum depression born from their experiences of postpartum depression.
