Could It Be Postpardum Depression? Worried. ?
Q: I want to mull this over before answering (have to get 6 yo up for her
first day back to school right now), but I wanted to say that PPD
doesn't usually show up late. If she had PPD, it would have been
there earlier, and you would have seen signs. Did you notice anything
when your dd was first born that would make you concerned?
A:I understand that a depressive episode starting within 2 yrs of the birth of
a baby can be considered PPD. PPD seems to come on in two ways, one is baby
blues just not getting better after the birth, the other is things seeming
fine after the birth and then coming on gradually later.
Of the people I've known who've had severe postnatal depression (causing
hospitalisation), though there has been signs early on, the worst point has
been after the 6 month mark, so in a mild case it could be possible that
symptoms were easily hidden early one and now things are getting worse
things are more visible.
This case does sound a bit wierd, I'd not jump to the conclusion of PPD
straight away, but something doesn't sound right, I know shopping
unnecessarily is a symptom of some mental illnesses, but doesn't quite fit
in with PPD. I really think you have to talk to her, there is nothing you
can do without that. It does sound as if there may be bonding issues with
the baby, but that is not necessarily PPD, the buying of toys could be a
subconcious way of trying to make up for that. I wonder if you could suggest
some kind of activity for her to do with your DD, that fits her work