Volume 51 Issue 8 - August 2013 : Feature

 

Postnatal Depression- A phase that women barely understand

Article: Thokozani Matiha

We have a social club called Cousins and Sisters in our family and we meet every first week of the month. The goal is to support each other especially during times of bereavement or weddings and parties. Each one of us has to play host and usually good food and wine are served and the mood would be that of laughter filled with ladies talk, you know what I mean… One of the issues that usually arise during such gatherings is me getting pregnant. Concern is that I am in my late 30s but I never bring up the issue of having a child around them. Usually my response is that God`s time is the best time and if Sarah was able to conceive at the age of 90 (Genesis 17:17), then God`s favour will be upon me when the time is right.

Late 2011 my cousin, Nicole Mahlasela, gave birth to an adorable, cute baby boy. After 12 months, I visited them in Shashe Moke. Senzo, her son, was now a year old and whenever he heard a song playing he would start moving his feet. Give him his bottle and immediately he looks for a cushion to lay his head on so that he drinks his milk comfortably, humming a song only familiar to him. If he noticed that we were not giving him attention, Senzo would pick the television remote control, point it towards the direction of the television and press the buttons. For me, it was just so amazing to see a child at such a tender age doing all these things.

While we were catching up, this time around I personally brought up the subject of pregnancy. I asked Nicole when she planned to have her second child.  “Hey hey hey!! ke bakile, you know when the nurse told me here is your son placing him on my bed, I did not know what was happening to me, I turned the other way, confused  and not even interested to look at my boy,” she said.

That reminded me of my other cousin who once told me how she got irritated whenever her ex-boyfriend brought up the subject of getting intimate months after she gave birth to her daughter. The whole time I laughed about their experiences because they were putting me under pressure to get pregnant despite them going through such phases.

Then last month something caught my attention on Radio Botswana (RB1). It was during a morning show programme and the topic that Mpho Thula, a psychiatrist at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital in Lobatse, addressed was postnatal depression. According to Thula, postnatal depression affects about 10 to15 per cent of women worldwide including Botswana.  It affects some mothers from day one, weeks or months after giving birth. It is most common after first the pregnancy and it affects women in different ways. However, its cause is not known but Thula says predisposition to factors such as pregnancy at young age, poverty, lack of support as well as hormonal changes during pregnancy.

Depression during pregnancy is equally common but even less talked about than postnatal depression. In the same way that mothers suffer from swollen ankles or high blood pressure during pregnancy, others can suffer from depression.

Some of the symptoms could be loss of interest in the world around you and no longer enjoying things that used to give pleasure, difficulties with concentration and making decisions, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt and self-blame, having difficulties bonding with the baby, feeling unable to look after the baby, or feeling too anxious to leave the house or keep in touch with friends. Feeling guilty about everything - especially wondering if one is a bad mother.

Prior to going through the unplanned caesarean section, Nicole had made a booking with Bokamoso Private Hospital which she ended up cancelling as she had to give birth before her due date. She was told the baby was breech and had to go through an operation. These are some of the factors that could have contributed to her depression.

Treatment for Postnatal Depression – Thula says treatment and recovery times vary depending on the severity of the depression and individual`s needs. It is often treated with support and advice from counsellors, mood stabling medications or tranquilisers to help one to relax, psychological treatment and sometimes admission at the clinic.

Many mothers do not recognise they have postnatal depression, and do not talk to family and friends about their true feelings. It is therefore important for partners, family members or friends to detect signs of postnatal depression at an early stage. Seeking help for postnatal depression does not mean you are a bad mother or unable to cope.

If you think someone you know has postnatal depression, encourage them to open up and talk about their feelings to you, a friend or general practitioner.

Names were changed to protect the individuals.  ENDS

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