This morning, in a rare quiet, moment (Callie slept till 9am!! Of course, she did sleep naked, but still!), I had an opportunity to watch the news. Usually I just catch what I can online, since even the news has images and words I would prefer my babies not be exposed to yet. Something that caught my eye on the scroll across the bottom of the screen was the headline, “Doctors encouraged to assess new mothers for depression”. First of all, don’t most doctors do this? Both of my doctors did, first in Kentucky and then in Colorado. I’m pretty sure the problem is not the lack of assessment. The problem may lie partly in the type of assessment. My doctor in Colorado had followed me throughout my pregnancy, and she knew me well. She took one look at me and knew. My doctor in Colorado that I saw for aftercare was one of many in the practice, had never met me, and basically just handed me a form to fill out. She took no time to look at me, really look at me. Luckily, or rather blessedly, I did not struggle with post-postpartum depression after Justus was born.
But I think there’s just so much more to it. I was fortunate in that I’m a counselor. I knew something was seriously wrong with me. I knew it wasn’t the “baby blues” and I wasted no time getting myself treated for it. But most women aren’t aware of this. So many people tell them “Crying just comes with the territory” and “You’ll get over it soon, it’s just your hormones”. And then some women are just ashamed. They have no idea why they are depressed after having their precious baby. Maybe they are surrounded by church people telling them that they just need to pray about it, and the Lord will take care of it. I’m not doubting that’s possible. As I’ve previously posted, I know the Lord healed me from an unknown illness. But the Lord also provided us with amazing physicians who developed wonderful medication to help women through those dark times. And I know first hand just how dark those times can be, and how it is possible to see no light at the end of the tunnel.
So yes, doctors should assess for depression in new moms. But also, those of us who have been through it, we should be a voice for this awful illness, we should keep a close eye on our dear friends and family, we should remember the warning signs and ask the Lord for wisdom in addressing this sensitive issue.
Any thoughts?
