Causes of Postpartum Depression

No one knows for sure what causes postpartum depression (PPD). Hormonal changes in a woman's body may trigger its symptoms. During pregnancy, the amount of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in a woman's body increase greatly. In the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops and keeps dropping to the amount they were before the woman became pregnant. Researchers think these changes in hormones may lead to depression, just as smaller changes in hormones can affect a woman's moods before she gets her menstrual period.

Thyroid levels may also drop sharply after giving birth. (The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that helps to regulate how your body uses and stores energy from foods eaten.) Low thyroid levels can cause symptoms that can feel like depression, such as mood swings, fatigue, agitation, insomnia, and anxiety. A simple thyroid test can tell if this condition is causing a woman's PPD. If so, thyroid medication can be prescribed by a health care provider.

Other things can contribute to PPD, such as:

• Feeling tired after delivery, broken sleep patterns, and not enough rest often keeps a new mother from regaining her full strength for weeks. This is particularly so if she has had a cesarean (C-section) delivery.

• Feeling overwhelmed with a new, or another, baby to take care of and doubting your ability to be a good mother.

• Feeling stress from changes in work and home routines. Sometimes women think they have to be "super mom" or perfect, which is not realistic and can add stress.

• Having feelings of loss - loss of identity (who you are, or were, before having the baby), loss of control, loss of a slim figure, and feeling less attractive.

• Having less free time and less control over time. Having to stay home indoors for longer periods of time and having less time to spend with the baby's father.