A new study published in the Journal of Women's Health finds that obstetricians are missing many cases of postpartum depression among their patients. I know this doesn't come as a surprise to most of you.
Of the 491 women who participated in the study, "23% of participants screened positive for an anxiety disorder or high levels of depressive symptoms or both prenatally, and 17% screened positive at 6 weeks postpartum. The majority of women who screened positive were not identified by their providers during pregnancy or postpartum."
The researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital concluded that "detection, treatment and referral of perinatal depression by obstetrical providers are seriously lacking and need to be addressed."
Indeed.
During my second pregnancy my symtpoms of ppd/ppa/ocd from my first pregnancy returned and I knew full well what it was. My OB would only prescribe Wellbutrin which threw my anxiety through the roof!
Finally I went to my regualar dr. who gave me Lexapro which had helped me before. When I told my OB, he said "I'm fine with that." If I hadn't gone to my regular dr. my OB would have let me suffer.
I think the story you share happens to
many women. The illness is sometimes minimized ("come back in 6 weeks and we'll see how you are feeling")or treated minimally ("here's a prescription, hope you feel better" with no follow up or referral to psych pros). I believe that is beginning to
change for the better, but still …
I completely agree! While I love my OB, I just had to fill out a questionnaire at 6 weeks postpartum. No other discussion followed, and I so knew how to fill that out as to not be bothered. I had not yet realized how sick I was and still thought it was "baby blues" Thank goodness for a meltdown in a restaurant ladies room, with a local therapist who specializes in PPD/PPA. And no, I had never met her before, she just quickly recognized what was going on and most likely saved me!