Anxiety of bringing new life into the world

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Bhubaneswar: A Malyalam music video titled ‘Jananya’ recently created ripples on the social media after it triggered talks on post delivery depression of several new mothers in the country. Often termed as ‘post partum depression’ in medical science, doctors in Odisha claimed it is a glaring reality of the society.
Psychiatrists and doctors working with the issue claim that they often come across several such cases while studies have hinted that one out of seven new mothers become victims of the ailment. Post partum depression is defined as a combination of physical, emotional and behavioral changes that triggers in a woman after giving birth.
“Motherhood is a phase that drastically transforms the lives of women. Things that often trigger the depression include lack of social support, birth of a girl-child in some families, not to mention an array of hormonal changes the body of a new mother undergoes,” said Dr Suvendu Mishra, a psychiatrist from the city.
Other doctors also agreed that in many conservative families preference of a male child often add up to the issue. “Chances of onset of this depression are more in families where a male child is preferred. Post partum depression starts within weeks of the delivery of the child. The mother also undergoes several hormonal changes which add up to the increased anxiety levels,” Dr Alakta Das, a gynaecologist from city-based Blue Wheel Hospital said.
Other gynaecologists claimed that mood swings, urge to cry, hiked anxiety and difficulty in sleeping at night are some of the natural things that plague the life of a new mother. Psychiatrists claim that a helping hand and sharing of workload at home can act as a natural remedy in such cases.
“The family itself can help in coping with the added stress that comes with giving birth. The husband and other family members can aid her by sharing responsibilities and be supportive during her tough days. Pampering her, giving her love and support and taking care of her needs can help a lot,” said Dr Amrit Pattajoshi, a psychiatrist from the city.