Baby blues
and Sabine Schrör, medical journalist Updated onSophie Matzik is a freelance writer for the medical team.
More about the expertsSabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists."Baby blues" (postpartum blues) is the term used to describe the psychological sensitivity that many women experience a few days after giving birth. During these "howling days" mothers are usually exhausted, tired and suffer from mood swings. Read here how baby blues come about and how you can best deal with it.
ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. F53
What's the baby blues?
The baby blues (postpartum blues) is a temporary low mood that can occur in the first three to five days after giving birth. Affected mothers tend to have mood swings, are sad and / or exhausted and tired. There is also increased sensitivity and sensitivity. Often times, during the baby blues era, mothers burst into tears for no apparent reason, which is why the baby blues days are colloquially called howling days.
The symptoms of baby blues usually go away on their own after a few days.
In various surveys, the information on how often baby blues occurs ranges from 25 to 80 percent. These differences come from the fact that the symptoms are assessed subjectively. The criteria used also play a role: some scientists consider tiredness and insomnia to be symptoms of baby blues, while others do not.
Baby blues is sometimes viewed as a mental disorder. But there are also many experts who do not consider this temporary low mood after the birth to be pathological, but rather as a normal process of change and an important part of the development of a mother-child bond.
Baby blues: causes
According to the current state of knowledge, the cause of the baby blues is the severe drop in hormones after the birth: During pregnancy, the levels of estrogen and progesterone are very high. After the birth and the delivery of the mother cake, these levels drop very quickly. Estrogen acts in different places in the brain; Among other things, it stabilizes the mood and counteracts depression and psychoses. If this protection falls away, the baby blues develop, in other words, mood slumps, emotional instability and attacks of depression. Such an effect is also observed in connection with menstruation and menopause (menopause).
The type, location, and length of birth do not affect whether or not a baby blues occurs. However, the risk of baby blues is increased if the birth does not take place as the mother intended. For example, mothers who planned to give birth outside of the clinic but then had to go to a clinic often feel worthless after giving birth and are more likely to suffer from baby blues.
Psychosocial factors such as marital status or the mother's life situation do not seem to have any influence on the occurrence of baby blues.
Baby blues: symptoms
Women with baby blues show a generally increased sensitivity to external events: They are more irritable, react quickly emotionally (e.g. with tears of joy) and tend to change their mood quickly. Other possible signs of baby blues include:
- (exaggerated) worries about the baby and the future
- Tearfulness
- Feeling down (not depressed)
- Difficulty concentrating
- previously unknown aggressiveness
- Feelings of confusion
- mild sleep and appetite disorders
How do I deal with a baby blues?
Baby blues has no disease value, so usually does not need treatment. The symptoms of baby blues usually go away on their own within a few days. It is good if those affected have a close reference person during this time with whom they can talk openly and who supports them in caring for the newborn. Calmness and understanding of the woman's condition on the part of her partner and other relatives are also helpful.
Many doctors also advise that mothers should be with their child a lot during this time. Only in this way can a close bond be established and the joy of one's own child outweigh the negative emotions.
Can the baby blues get chronic?
In most cases, the symptoms of baby blues will subside after a few days. If this is not the case, it could mean the onset of postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis. So if the mood swings persist for a long time or if depressive or psychotic symptoms (such as loss of reality, hallucinations, etc.) develop, you should consult a doctor.
Tags: foot care dental care drugs
.jpg)
