Postpartum Depression
Public awareness of postpartum depression is on the rise thanks to Very Special Episodes of sit-coms and Tom Cruise's public chastising of Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants after her daughter was born. The "baby blues" — feelings of fatigue, worry and depression in the first days after giving birth — are common and usually disappear within a week or two. Postpartum depression is a more serious condition that can strike later and does not subside on its own.
Medical opinions on postpartum depression run the gamut. Some think the condition is under-diagnosed and under-medicated. Others feel it's over-diagnosed and should be medicated only with extreme caution. Opinions differ on which types of anti-depressants should be used to treat postpartum depression, and on whether medication should ever be given to women who are breastfeeding. But it's generally safe to say most cases of baby blues don't warrant medical treatment.
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