Depression is a problem that a vast number of individuals struggle with nowadays, but it tends to burden pregnant women and new mothers in a very specific and serious way. The change in a woman's life and body linked with the birth of a child often results in a particularly serious form of depression , referred to as postpartum depression.

Physically, when a woman becomes pregnant, her body undergoes great changes in shape and mass. Additionally, an assortment of hormones come into play that up to this point have continued to be dormant. Inexplicable mood changes and bouts of depression are usually reported amongst pregnant women and women who have just given birth, while, equally inexplicably, other women remain absolutely unaffected. Dramatic and recurrent shifts in mood though, from extreme highs to extreme lows, can occur with little warning or explanation, though it is hardly surprising really, when one mulls over what the body has been undergoing, along with the great mental burden allied with the woman's often unfamiliar role as a mother.

It is impossible to envisage exactly who will be affected by Postpartum depression. It can happen to the most skilled, perceptive and concerned mother. Even women who have not experienced it with their first child may find that they are astounded by a dramatic onset of depression and anxiety after the birth of the second or third baby. Postpartum depression is a highly erratic kind of depressive illness, but it is important to recognize it quickly when it does occur so that it can be dealt with effectively.

Postpartum depression is a serious condition, but fortunately it is also a treatable one. You are best advised to seek help at once when your partner, friend, family member or you yourself distinguish the signs. This can diminish the risk of the further development of the illness and its harmful consequences.

For many women, admitting that there is a problem is challenging and frequently embarrassing. While in most Western countries modern families have numerous choices as to how and who brings up the children, there still exists an unshakable assumption that all the skills associated with motherhood have been hotwired into women's brain, and thus should surface naturally. This is rarely how new mothers experience birth and the first stages of motherhood, but it can still be difficult for new mums to overcome the stigma they associate with their perceived helplessness and confusion after birth.

The important thing for new mothers to register this, if they do feel depressed, suicidal or even homicidal, is that they are not going crazy but are going through experiences that are very common to women in their form. Partners and parents should go out of their way to help such women to accept such negative feelings when they arise, so that they might be put in perspective.

Mood swings, even extreme mood swings, in pregnant women or young mothers are nothing to be ashamed of, but if left undiagnosed and untreated, they can lead to undesirable and destructive behaviour. Accepting that there is a problem is where the healing of Postpartum depression begins.