Postpartum Depression Doesn’t Just Happen After Childbirth

Postpartum Depression Doesn’t Just Happen After Childbirth

Our expert: Dr. Sherry Ross

Sheryl A. Ross, M.D., “Dr. Sherry,” is an award-winning OBGYN, our go-to for pregnancy, postpartum, menopause and beyond. She’s practiced for 20+ years, recently won both a Top Ten OB/GYN & Patient’s Choice Award. She also has a line of custom vitamins made specially for women, Dr. Ross D3FY Vitamins.

New studies in the field of maternal mental illness are proving that postpartum depression doesn’t just happen right after childbirth–in fact, the timeframe for when a woman could become depressed is a whole lot wider.

Recently, scientists have found a slew of important stats that completely change how we view postpartum depression and symptoms:

  • Postpartum depression doesn’t just occur a few weeks after childbirth; for many women, it begins during pregnancy or up to a year have giving birth.
  • Anywhere from 12-20% of women experience some form of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or a combination of these symptoms at some point during the year after giving birth.
  • It’s not just genes that play a role in how a woman will react after giving birth; women who are predisposed to extra stress can develop symptoms too.

Long story short? Postpartum depression is much more prevalent and complicated than people originally thought, and it comes in all different forms. Moreover, there’s no pattern for who becomes depressed during or after pregnancy.

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