Postpartum depression by state
Posted on April 13th, 2008 – 8:48 PMBy Josephine Marcotty
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week came out with an interesting study on postpartum depression (PPD) in 17 states. It was based on a survey of new mothers. Maine had the lowest rate at 11.7 percent. New Mexico, at an astonishing 20.4 percent, had the highest. Minnesota, with 12.7 percent, was at the low end.
PPD is not the same as the baby blues. That’s always struck me as a poetic phrase for such an ironic condition: You’re supposed to be so happy but all you can do is cry. It’s a common and blessedly fleeting condition that affects many new moms. “It’s just hormones,” people say. “It will pass.” But PPD is a far more serious affliction that needs recognition and treatment because it can be harmful to both the mother and the infant.
Not suprisingly, women with the most difficult lives report much higher rates of PPD, according to the CDC: Young mothers, those with the least education, those on Medicaid, women who give birth to low weight infants, and those who report partner abuse and financial stress. White women report the lowest rates compared to women of other races and ethnicities.The CDC says that women with PPD are less likely to engage with their infants or to play with them, and may be less willing to breastfeed.
So your doctor should ask you about your mood and whether you feel depressed at your first visit after delivery.
I wasn’t depressed after giving birth, but I vividly remember the baby blues. I’m glad I knew the difference.
What was your experience?
One response to "Postpartum depression by state"
Baby blues followed the birth of my first child - in retrospect I chalk it up to fatigue, fear of being an inadequate mom, and my husband’s return to an extremely rigorous work schedule that left me and baby alone for long stretches of time. The blues abated after a couple of weeks and never came back. No baby blues after subsequent children, which I credit with my feeling much more confident as a parent and my being distracted by chasing kid number one around and therefore not having any downtime to reflect or mull over my situation! (So, not healthy for other reasons, but being over-extended staved off the blues!) My midwife gave me a pamphlet on PPD and inquired at my post-partum check about my level of depression, which I thought was quite diligent. Though it did seem like she was reading off a script for that part of the exam and she seemed quite cheered by the fact that I seemed emotionally fine. I hope that if I’d shown warning signs she would have been able to navigate a very personal and complex conversation. I imagine this must be a significant part of training for midwives/OBs.
