Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we’ve been talking about health issues related to pregnancy. The impact of pregnancy on a woman’s body doesn’t end with the birth. Many women experience what’s often called the “baby blues” in the weeks following birth — crying spells, sadness and irritability.
Dr. Anna Brandon, a psychologist with the Women’s Mental Health Center at
UT Southwestern Medical Center, says the baby blues are usually a combination of hormonal changes in a woman’s body after pregnancy and childbirth and the stress of being a new mother with all the demands of dealing with a newborn. Getting rest by sleeping when the baby sleeps and getting help from partner, friends or family can help. The baby blues usually go away after a couple of weeks. If they don’t and if the symptoms keep the new mother from functioning, it could be something more serious that requires medical attention, so talk to a doctor.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/mentalhealth to learn more about
UT Southwestern’s clinical services in mental health.
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August 2008
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