The change in routine and the demands of a newborn baby can get all too much for a new mother. — Photos: Filepic
While any mother can experience postpartum depression, a large number of cases go undiagnosed until they turn severe.
Doctors recommend that families pay attention, provide care and seek prompt treatment to help mothers make full recovery from the disorder.
According to Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Khanh (not her real name), a mother from Dak Lak province started experiencing postpartum depression a month after giving birth.
She constantly stayed up at night to take care of her crying baby, and to add to the pressure, she had limited breast milk supply.
Khanh told VNA: “At first, I tried to talk to my husband, but he was so busy with his work that eventually, I didn’t feel like talking about my problems anymore.
“I suffered in silence, and only a short while after that, I started to fear hearing my child’s cry. I got upset for no reason, and sometimes I didn’t even want to take care of my child.”
The birth of a baby can trigger a gamut of emotions but new moms can also experience the ‘baby blues’, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.Seeing Khanh’s unstable mental state, her mother took her to the hospital.
Her symptoms gradually improved, and the negative thoughts started to recede with her husband and family members trying to share her burden.
Tien (not her real name), another new mother in Quang Binh province, was in her third year of university when she got pregnant and decided to halt her education.
To her family, Tien was a joyful and friendly person.
Yet a few weeks after her child was born, her mental state began to change.
While her pregnancy had been normal, she started experiencing insomnia after the delivery.
This was followed by constant fatigue, increasing self-isolation and sensitivity.
Her family shared that Tien received little care and attention from her husband.
Things took a turn for the worse when Tien tried to commit suicide by cutting open her stomach with a knife.
Thankfully, her family managed to rush her to the hospital in time.
She was allowed to go home after receiving treatment for her physical wound and mental health state, but pretty soon, she started showing signs of instability.
Tien would easily get upset and refused to take medications.
VNA quoted Dr Nguyen Thi Ai Van from the National Institute of Mental Health as saying: “Through examination, doctors could see that Tien was having severe depression with suicidal behaviour. She was also diagnosed with behavioural and mental disorders associated with pregnancy.
“After undergoing treatment at the hospital, she has become more cooperative and her mental state has become more stable.
“She actively talks to other people and her sleep and appetite have also improved.”
According to Dr Van, this is one of the critical cases that was taken to the hospital by the patient’s family.
However, there are many other new mothers who show mild symptoms or intentionally hide their health condition, which leads to more severe problems.
There are also patients who experience the symptoms of fatigue, insomnia and chest pain.
These people then seek treatment in cardiology and neurology, which fail to identify the root cause.
Dr Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the National Institute of Mental Health says this year, the facility has admitted 27 mothers with postpartum mental health disorders, with many of them having suicidal thoughts.
The institute currently receives around 250 to 300 patients per day, and twice as many during the pandemic.
Up to 30% of these patients seek treatment for depression and postpartum depression.
Dr Vu Thy Cam, head of the clinical psychology department at the institute says that for mothers, hormonal changes and the arrival of a new baby could bring emotional imbalance.
While symptoms of postpartum depression could appear within four weeks of delivery, many studies show that the disorder could arise any time, within one year of childbirth.
In Vietnam, statistics from obstetric hospitals reveal that the percentage of mothers experiencing postpartum depression falls between 11.6 and 33%.
Up to 50% of these cases are undiagnosed, making it difficult to provide support and prevent them from turning severe.
Doctors say that around 80% of women with these illnesses could make full recovery if they receive adequate care and treatment, especially from their partner and family.
Dr Cam says: “New mothers need to learn how to relax and ease their stress. They should not push themselves to do more than they can bear or expect to be perfect mothers.
“After the delivery, they should make sure to get enough sleep. They could take a rest when their child is sleeping, take time for self-care and go out with friends.
“New mothers who show signs of depression should seek treatment at psychology departments as soon as possible to receive the appropriate treatment and avoid severe consequences due to postpartum depression.” – Bernama
