Postnatal Depression Psychologist Brisbane
Postnatal depression psychologist Brisbane
Chatting with a postnatal depression psychologist Brisbane.
Amy Kelly is clinical psychologist. She has been working with Mums with postnatal depression in Brisbane for several years. To understand it more, I asked her some questions about the condition.
What is postnatal depression (PND)?
It’s a condition where a person feels depressed or down for at least 2 weeks. Other symptoms like being teary, not sleeping well, feeling hopeless and exhausted are common. It occurs in the timeframe between birth and baby’s 1st birthday.
Does postnatal depression mean that you don’t like your baby or want to hurt the baby?
No! Mums with PND can feel protective and bonded to their baby but still feel depressed.
That’s confusing!
Mums with PND can feel very confused about their feelings. For example, one mother said “How can I feel so miserable when I have such a perfect baby?” Some Mums feel guilty for having feelings of depression.
What about anxiety? Do Mums feel anxious too?
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. Overwhelming feelings of anxiety would lead anyone to feel down. Postnatal anxiety (PNA) is different to the normal anxious feelings that many new Mum’s experience. PNA is overwhelming and can affect your body and how you spend your time. Some new Mum’s won’t leave the house for fear that their baby will get sick. Others can’t sleep because they are so wound up. If you don't treat it quickly, it can really get out of hand and leaving Mum's feeling really depleted.
What would you suggest new Mum’s do if they have these symptoms?
Go to a GP and get a referral to see a postnatal depression psychologist Brisbane who specialises in helping Mums during the postnatal period. With a Mental Health Care Plan from their GP, 10 psychology sessions are subsided by Medicare. If you are in Brisbane, you can call Nest Psychology on 07 3371 9998, or book an appointment through the website: www.nestpsychology.com.au. Our psychologists see Mums in the Toowong clinic and we also do home visits.
Home visits! That’s great!
Yes, that’s what we are told by new Mums. We like to take as much stress out of the equation as possible and facilitate a quick recovery.
