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Postnatal Depression
Get health information > Pregnancy Health > Postnatal Depression
Perinatal mental health service
A service for women who require specialist perinatal assessment and treatment for their mental health in pregnancy and up to a year after baby’s birth.
If you are struggling with your mood after having a baby, please speak to the health Health Visiting team (located on-site), or any of our Nurses or GPs.
Having a baby is usually thought of as a happy time. However, as a new mother, you may not necessarily feel this straight away. You may go through a brief period of feeling emotional and tearful – known as the 'baby blues'. It usually starts 3-10 days after giving birth and affects around 85 per cent of new mothers. It is so common that it is considered normal. New fathers may also feel it.
Postnatal depression is a type of depression some women experience after having a baby. It can develop within the first six weeks of giving birth, but is often not apparent until around six months. Postnatal depression is more common than many people realise, affecting around 1 in 10 women after having a baby.
Have a look at the video on this page and hear from mums who have had postnatal depression talk about the feelings they faced, and perinatal psychiatrist Dr Margaret Oates explaining how it can be treated quickly with the right help.
About 1 in 10 mothers develop postnatal depression. Support and understanding from family, friends, and sometimes from a professional such as a health visitor can help you to recover. Other treatment options include psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy or antidepressant medicines.
APNI - Association For Post-Natal Illness
Most people today have heard the term ‘baby blues’ used to describe a mild, short, period of depression which many women experience after childbirth. Fewer people are aware that as many as 10% of all recently delivered women develop postnatal depression. You are not alone in suffering. APNI have a helpline to give you support and advice.
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