Postpartum depression affects somewhere between 10-25% of new mothers and can begin at any time from pregnancy through the first year of birth. Fortunately, public awareness of this syndrome has increased in recent years, so more mothers seek help readily and more health care professionals are informed about treatment options. Nonetheless, many mothers who experience depression are still too ashamed or embarrassed to seek help. If you have feelings of depression which persist past the first week or two, you should be open to the possibility that you might have postpartum depression. If so, you should know that this is an illness that can be successfully treated, you are not alone, and this has no relationship with your ability to be a good mother. (If you have mood swings in the first week, this is probably normal baby blues, which affect most mothers 3-5 days after birth – but you should not hesitate to seek help at any time)
Online resources
Postpartum Support International has comprehensive information about postpartum depression, links to online tools, online support groups and more.
We are still in the process of collecting information about support resources available in Bangkok and throughout Thailand for women with postpartum depression. If you have more information about this, or would like to share your own story, please contact us or add a comment below. Thank you!