The Women 's Place At Texas 's Children 's Hospital

Beck, C.T., Gable, R.K., (2001), Further Validation of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale , Nurse Res; 50-155-164.

For any mother the birth of a newborn child can be a challenging experience. As nurses it is part of our job to ensure their experience is positive. We can help do this by providing the information they will need to affective care for their newborn. This information includes topics such as, breastfeeding, jaundice, when to call your doctor and even how to put your baby to sleep. When the parents have an understanding of these topics before discharge it can largely reduce their natural anxiety accompanied with the transition to parenthood. Health teaching for new parents is seen as such an important aspect of care on post-partum floors it is actually a necessary component that needs to be covered before the hospital can discharge the

Often the time after birth is a filled with joy and happiness due to the arrival of a new baby. However, for some mothers the birth of a baby leads to some complicated feelings that are unexpected. Up to 85% of postpartum woman experience a mild depression called “baby blues” (Lowdermilk, Perry, Cashion, & Alden, 2012). Though baby blues is hard on these mothers, another form of depression, postpartum depression, can be even more debilitating to postpartum woman. Postpartum depression affects about 15% (Lowdermilk et al., 2012) of postpartum woman. This disorder is not only distressing to the mother but to the whole family unit. This is why it is important for the nurse to not only recognize the signs and symptoms of a mother with postpartum depression, but also hopefully provide preventative care for the benefit of everyone involved.

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects at least 10-20% of new mothers. However, the true incidence may be much higher due to the fact that screening is not considered to be a standard practice, leaving PPD undetected and untreated in many women (Schaar & Hall, 2014). Postpartum depression not only negatively affects the mother; it also has a negative impact on the infant. For this reason, it is important for the health care providers caring for pregnant and postpartum mothers to screen them for risk factors associated with PPD, as well as educate them on ways to lessen their chances of getting PPD. It is also important for the health care providers to screen for PPD with a standardized tool like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and to take action in treating it when it is suspected or diagnosed.

Prenatal care in the United States was not the way is today, there have been some improvements in regards to prenatal care. The number of pregnant women who received prenatal care has increased over the past 75 years (Zolotor and Carlough, 2014). Today, medical providers deliver more integrated services, which includes evidence-based screening, counseling, medical care, and psychosocial support.

70 to 80 percent of women who have given birth experience what is know as “Baby blues,” (Piotrowski & Benson, 2015). These are mild symptoms of depression and usually go away within two weeks after giving birth. However, the symptoms of unspecified depressive disorder with peripartum onset also known as postpartum depression (PPD) can be more intense and last significantly longer than the “baby blues.” According to the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association [APA] 2013), postpartum depression occurs during pregnancy or in the 4 weeks following delivery. Postpartum depression has symptoms that cause clinically significant distress or impairment in the new mothers life and can include the inability to take care of the newborn or herself. The

As a nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital, one of the most well-known children’s hospitals in the nation, I have had the opportunity to care for patients and their families from around the world. I have learned how important cultural and social factors are in regards to a patient’s well-being and compliance with both medications and appointments.

Depression, in general, affects more than 340 million people around the world and is reported to be the highest cause of disability in high-income countries (Demissie). 15% to 85% of mothers can experience postpartum “blues” with postpartum depression rates between 11.7% and 20.4% in the United States alone (Ersek). This depression can occur at anytime from post-delivery up to one year (Ersek).

Postpartum psychiatric disorders are generally divided into 3 different categories: postpartum blues, postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression. Postpartum blues are very common. Symptoms are characterized by crying, confusion, mood swings, and anxiety. These symptoms manifest early after birth but don’t last very long. Another one is postpartum psychosis which is more severe. Symptoms appear within four weeks and include delusions, hallucinations and gross impairment in functioning. Postpartum depression begins in or extends into the postpartum period (Ohara, 2004). According to Health Facty, there are 10 symptoms of postpartum depression; sadness, mood swings, feeling overwhelmed, crying spells, problems with memory and concentration, change in sleep cycle, altered patterns of eating, loss of libido, social withdrawal, and an enduring sense of exhaustion. Symptoms must last longer than one moth to be diagnosed as postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects about eighty-five percent of new mothers and persists as long as a year after childbirth (Texas Medical Association, 2015). In spite of the scope of this problem and the benefits of screening women, it’s not standard procedure (New York State Department Of Health, 2016). This policy brief was written for healthcare providers that treat new mothers at risk for PPD with the goal of improving screening and the number of women receiving appropriate treatment. The recommendations address measures to improve early identification and follow-up care for women found to have PPD.

What is Postpartum Depression (PPD)? How would you know if you had it? Is it unavoidable, something you just have to endure? Fortunately, Postpartum depression is more akin to a temporary condition that can be managed and counterbalanced with insight, sensitivity, and support. What begins as the “baby blues” is estimated to affect as many as upwards of 80% of women after a birth. Although some purport it is caused by hormonal changes, there remains a lack of consensus as to

One of the reasons our particular volunteering will be relevant to nursing is that we will be helping to spread information about pregnancy to those who might be unaware of the opportunities and possibilities available to them. Through this volunteering, we are helping to educate soon-to-be mothers on ways that they can avoid an abortion – saving the child’s life and comforting the mother during an emotionally stressful time. As nurses, we will

Mothers who have brought into this world a blessing have been preparing themselves for a big change in their life. They have been learning and educating themselves about how to be a good mother. Many mothers find it really hard to transition from being an independent woman without children to becoming a mother (Corrigan, Kwasky, & Groh, 2015). Adapting to motherhood can be a drastic change, and usually creates challenges that lead to feeling overwhelmed (Leger & Letourneau, 2015). When a newly mother begins experiencing stress or becomes emotional then there can be a possibility that they can encounter Postpartum Depression (Leger et al., 2015). Postpartum depression can be seen and experienced in many different ways, it all varies on every mother (Corrigan et al., 2015). Many different mental health issues can be seen including baby blues, postpartum depression, postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the most serious, postpartum psychosis (Tam & Leslie, 2001).

This is a bright orange book that the woman carries around with her and to every visit. The purpose of the PHR is to encourage communication and initiate continuity of care. Having access to the information of their pregnancy means women get more control and fell more fulfilled with the care they receive. (WILKINSON and MILLER, 2007) The records can be used as a reference source, to help women have a better understanding and to feel well informed, reassured, and confident in collaborating with health professionals as explanations were encouraged. (Phipps, 2001) The popularity of PHR is increasing, this could be due to growing attention on continuity of care and women centred care models. Which focuses on the woman compared to the “clinical condition” (pregnancy). (Humphrey, Tucker and de Labrusse, 2013) The PHRs are designed for the diversity of every woman, as every woman is different with varied needs (physical, emotional, cultural and religious). This method is also applicable for all types of care e.g. high risk, low risk, midwifery led care, shared care, or obstetric-led care. (Humphrey, Tucker and de Labrusse, 2013) On the other hand, the PHR can be lost easily, compromising

Prenatal care is widely accepted as an important element in improving pregnancy outcome. (Gorrie, McKinney, Murray, 1998). Prenatal care is defined as care of a pregnant woman during the time in the maternity cycle that begins with conception and ends with the onset of labor. A medical, surgical, gynecologic, obstretic, social and family history is taken (Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, 1998). It is important for a pregnant woman as well as our society to know that everything that you do has an effect on your baby. Because so many women opt not to receive the benefits of prenatal care, our society sees the ramification, which include a variety of complications primarily