Down to Birth #202 | From Bliss to Rage: A Mother's Journey with Postpartum Depression
When Lauren gave birth to her first baby, everything was seemingly perfect. Breastfeeding was going well, and she was totally in love with her baby girl. What she didn't see coming was a series of lifestyle changes including moving that set her up for her previously-managed OCD transforming into bouts of postpartum rage. At 9 months postpartum, when her pediatrician told her that her baby was too small, the regularly occurring outbursts that soon followed were classic for the postpartum rage cycle: trigger-outburst-guilt, with much of her rage directed at her husband. We discuss the triggers that exacerbated her postpartum mood disorder and the importance of seeking support and understanding the signs and symptoms of perinatal mood disorders.
Postpartum rage is one of the manifestations of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It is a stress-related response, which triggers our "fight" mechanism when we reach a point of overwhelm. While the outburst brings relief, guilt is quickly ushered in and the cycle continues. The key to interrupting the cycle is to manage the triggers--for Lauren, this was her baby's sleeping habits.
In today's episode, Lauren courageously shares her most vulnerable postpartum moments in hopes of helping other mothers realize they are not alone in this common yet significantly under-recognized manifestation of postpartum depression and anxiety.
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