Perinatal & Postpartum

Sadness is a part of life. For some it is a bigger part than others. Those that struggle with major depression deal with those feelings for weeks, months, or longer. The emotions that cause the person to develop depression can leave them with problems functioning in the office, at home and out with friends. Women who show signs of depression when they become pregnant may be treated for perinatal depression. This condition can develop any time after pregnancy begins up until the baby is one year old. Typically those who develop this condition after childbirth are diagnosed with postpartum depression.

Perinatal depression or postpartum depression may be caused by a variety of factors. including physical and emotional. Women with a family history of major depression or other mental health problems are more susceptible to developing perinatal and or postpartum depression. Fluctuations in hormone can also trigger this illness. Postpartum thyroid disorders can also mimic the signs of depression such as exhaustion, negative moods, and hopelessness.

Emotional triggers can include basic exhaustion to feelings of fatigue and being overwhelmed by having to cope with the intense demands of a newborn. Women who lack a support system in the form of friends and family or women facing financial troubles are also more susceptible to this condition.

The problem with perinatal and postpartum depression is that it becomes a vicious cycle that feeds on itself. A depressed mother has difficulty bonding with her baby and meeting his or her physical and emotional needs. This aggravates the mother's feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteem. The infant that does not connect with his or her mother can experience trust issues in personal relationships throughout life. In some more severe cases this can lead to a physical "failure to thrive," which can be harmful or even fatal to the infant. Other family members, including husbands and older children, also suffer.

While medications come with a host of side effects that can be harmful to the developing baby when a mother breastfeeds and traditional therapy takes valuable time to get to the heart of the matter, hypnosis and hypnotherapy offer a real solution.

Women who use hypnotherapy benefit by learning to create positive associations, anchor positive emotions and focus on times when they felt happy and in control of their lives. Various physical expressions can be used to "anchor" that emotion and mental response so that the unconscious mind can access the positive feelings upon demand.

Women are also taught to program their unconscious mind to exchange positive thoughts for the negative ones that may surface. This puts the power into the hands of the mother and allows her to feel joy once again