Having a baby is a joyous time for most women. After childbirth, though, many mothers feel sad, afraid, angry or anxious. Most new mothers have these emotions in a mild form called postpartum blues. Sometimes these feelings are called “baby blues”. Postpartum blues almost always

Most experts agree that combining talk therapy with medication seems the most successful approach to treating PPD. The first choice of drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. Some that are normally used are Paxil, Prozac, Luvox, and Zoloft. Preliminary evidence shows that woman suffering a first-time episode of depression in the post partum period may respond more quickly and better to SSRIs (Webmd)

A woman with full – fledged psychosis, however, has temporarily lost the judgement needed to make this assessment. Very often, a woman with psychosis experiences a frightening sense of merging, she can’t distinguish between where she ends and where her baby begins. Psychotic merger is so terrifying that she may try to avoid losing her sense of self by either committing suicide or infanticide (

Many new mothers are surprised at how weak, alone, and upset they feel after giving birth. Their feelings don’t seem to match the feelings they thought they would have. They experience shame and denial for having these negative feelings. These feelings may come and go in the first few days after childbirth. This seems strange and scary at the time. The baby blues often go away in a few hours or a week or so without treatment (American College, 2002).

As with most mental illnesses, what causes the onset of postpartum mood disorders is still a matter of research and debate. Much of the medical community believes these syndromes may be caused by chemical imbalances, specifically shifts in hormone levels. According to Postpartum Support International(PSI), a network of mental health and social support, the most well researched theory to date suggests that a sharp drop in estrogen and progesterone following delivery is the culprit(

Researchers who study infanticide distinguish several different groups of parents who murder their children. Some kill as a result of p

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