My friend continued nursing her son throughout her battle with PPD.
I recently read a great article in Mothering Magazine called “Breastfeeding Beats the Blues” by Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett. The author did a fantastic job of using research to bust common myths surrounding postpartum depression and breastfeeding. This piece hit especially close to home, as I vividly remember watching my friend struggle with and pull herself out of the depths of this awful illness. It was both heartbreaking and inspiring to see her overcome PPD and any information that can help make this difficult time easier on new mothers is priceless.
So here are the myths that were addressed:
1. Breastfeeding moms cannot take antidepressants. It’s not safe for baby.
Wrong. Any medication a mom takes will pass through the milk to baby, but several antidepressants (also known as SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are compatible with breastfeeding. According to Dr. Thomas W. Hale, author of Medications and Mother’s Milk, the choices for treating breastfeeding mothers that least affect baby (in order) are Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), Sertraline (Zoloft) and Paxil. A 2004 edition of Medications and Mother’s Milk is available online at the KellyMom website and an updated 2010 edition is available for purchase at the Hale Publishing website.
2. Moms with postpartum depression should wean their babies so others can help by taking over feeding.
Just supporting a mother’s decision to breastfeed can be a great help. People should not undermine her ability to breastfeed if that’s what she’s chosen for herself and her baby. Family and friends can help in practical ways by preparing meals, washing dishes, playing with older children, etc. They can assist in making it possible for her to breastfeed by alleviating other stressors and that is a wonderful way to ease a difficult time. Remember, breastfeeding can actually HELP a mother with her depression.
Kendall-Tackett had this to say:
“Breastfeeding protects women’s mental health because it lowers stress. For example, a study of 43 breastfeeding women found that breastfeeding significantly decreased women’s levels of stress hormones.1 Further, hormones related to breastfeeding, such as oxytocin and prolactin, have both anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects.2″
She cites studies that prove what breastfeeding moms around the world have known forever: Breastfeeding has a calming effect on moms. This is HUGE for someone who may be feeling despair and suffering panic attacks.
Furthermore, breastfeeding protects baby! Of course there are countless benefits to breastfeeding, but especially for the baby of a depressed mama. There are studies out there that show how postpartum depression can negatively affect a baby, but there IS something moms can do about it!
According to Kendall-Tackett:
“Breastfeeding protected babies because depressed, breastfeeding mothers touched, stroked, and made eye contact with their babies more than did depressed, non-breastfeeding women 3… Non-breastfeeding, depressed women are more likely to disengage from their babies and less likely to respond to their cues. Such disengagement leads to many of the negative effects of maternal depression.”
3. Moms with postpartum depression should forgo nighttime breastfeeding and supplement with formula so baby will sleep longer and mom will sleep better.
It is widely accepted that the more sleep the mom gets, the better, especially since PPD can make it even more difficult for mom to get to sleep and stay asleep. However, the idea that formula feeding will increase mom’s sleep is a myth. It sounds right, I guess. Breast milk is much easier to digest than formula, so formula might keep them fuller and asleep longer. It kind of makes sense, but studies have shown over and over again that this is not the case. Kendall-Tackett mentioned several such studies in her well researched article, one of her most telling statements was:
“Most recent is a study of 2,830 women at seven weeks postpartum. The researchers found that disrupted sleep was a major risk factor for postpartum depression. But, here is where it gets really interesting: Mothers who were not exclusively breastfeeding had more disrupted sleep and a higher risk of depression.” 4
She goes on to say:
“In sum, advising women to avoid nighttime breastfeeding to lessen their risk of depression is not medically sound. In fact, if women follow this advice, it may actually increase their risk of depression.”
I am thrilled beyond words that someone has FINALLY taken the time to objectively look at the relationship between postpartum depression and breastfeeding. Everyone has heard someone say “You’ve got to take care of yourself before you can take care of another.” It is an especially accurate statement when applied to new mothers. Breastfeeding is a fantastic way for a mom to take care of both herself and her child.
For a much more indepth look at these issues as well as great postpartum depression resources, check out Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett’s full article in the September-October 2010 issue of Mothering Magazine.
I think it’s a “must read” for women (and the people who love them) dealing with postpartum depression.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. I’m a mom sharing info I found interesting. Only you and your doctor can decide what’s best for you and your baby’s health.
Footnotes:
1. M. Heinrichs et al., “Effects of Suckling on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses to Psychosocial Stress in Postpartum Lactating Women,” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 86, no. 10 (2001): 4798-4804
2. E.S. Mezzacappa and J. Endicott, “Parity Mediates the Association Between Infant Feeding Methods and Maternal Depressive Symptoms in the Postpartum,” Archives of Women’s Mental Health 10 (2007): 259-266
3. N. A. Jones, B. A. McFall, and M. A. Diego, “Patterns of Brain Electrical Activity in Infants of Depressed Mothers Who Breastfeed and Bottle Feed: The Mediating Role of Infant Temperament,” Biological Psychology 67 nos.1-2 (October 2004):103-124
4. S. K. Dorheim et al., “Sleep and Depression in Postpartum Women: A Population-Based Study,” Sleep 32, no.7 (July 2009): 847-855
Tags: breastfeeding, evidence based, mothering, nursing, postpartum depression, PPD
Thank you for writing this – it’s been on my ‘to do’ list for a long time!
A recent survey done by DBM supports this hypothesis, with 28.8% of the respondents who had never breastfed reporting a diagnosis of PND compared with 17.1% of the breastfeeders.
Great article. I wanted to add that placenta encapsulation can be an amazing natural antidepressant to help with ‘baby blues’. “Today, approximately 80% of women experience some level of postpartum depression. Using the placenta for its medicinal properties during the postpartum period is a natural & healthier way you can help avoid these symptoms and the costly treatments that usually accompany them, such as medications and counseling.” It balances your hormones, enhances your milk supply, increases your energy, prevents the baby blues and even helps you rebuild and recover more quickly after birthing. http://placentamom.weebly.com/index.html Do a search online, type in placenta encapsulation to read more about all of the benefits. I know most people will turn their nose up to this and say “gross”, but really, it’s simply natural and comes from you, perfectly formulated for just you. Every mom that I know that has done this has not had any form of ‘baby blues’ and really benefited from it. You can even save some/freeze for later in your life to help with menopause.
The was one thing that I disagreed with in the article: Breastfeeding prevents PPD. I breastfed, exclusively, my 2nd and still ended up with 16 months of hell from PPD (PPTSD). While I do agree that my son got a lot more cuddle time during breastfeeding and babywearing, my PPD was not prevented by exclusive breastfeeding…and took EFT and a homeopathic doctor to get myself back on track.
She has a lot of great points and research in her article…I just wish she would have stressed that while it MAY decrease the chances of PPD, there are simply too many factors that cause PPD to say that breastfeeding PREVENTS it.
I think you misunderstood the article mama.
You are right, exclusive breastfeeding DOES NOT ELIMINATE your risk of postpartum depression. Women who breastfeed can and do have postpartum depression. The friend who I mentioned at the beginning of the post was breastfeeding (and still is!) when she was diagnosed with PPD.
What I got out of this article was that women who are breastfeeding do not have to STOP breastfeeding if they begin to suffer from PPD (which can happen any time during the first year of baby’s life) and that it is actually beneficial for them to continue.
I had a similar reaction to the blog posting as you did. I exclusively breastfeed all three of mine and suffered tremendously bad bouts of ppd with two (one bout lasting nearly a year). And while I whole heartedly believe that breastfeeding had a positive value for my baby, it did not find it a fantastic way to take care of myself. I had plenty of support in my decision to BF. What I didn’t have was anyone who understood PPD enough to know I needed help – and not just with chores around the house, as I personally would not have accepted outside help in that way anyway because it would have only fed my feelings of inadequacy fueled by the PPD.
I got the false impression that this blog post was saying that if you just keep breastfeeding you can get through your PPD. So I too misread the post and Kara, your response to Angela gave me a better understanding of what point this post intends to make.
I look forward to finding a copy of the Mothering Mag article and following up some more on my own with these studies that weren’t out when I had my PPD.
Thanks, Kara.
I was a little nervous to read it, but you did a great job!
What a great article, I would just like to share a personal experience; I have PPD, I Exclusively Breastfed my daughter until she started solids at 6mths so now she is BF & solids. I was diagnosed with PPD when she was 3.5mths old. I told my wonderful GP that BF is so important to me that I would be better off BF with no medication then formula feeding with medication. She totally understood & now I take medication once a day that is safe to take when BF (the SSRI as mentioned). I am feeling SO much better about things. I think it is really important to have a GP that you trust. I find myself telling other women “I have Post Partum Depression” because I hope one day if that woman is suffering she will think it is ok to talk about it & ask for help.
Thank you for sharing this article. =)
So many have the misperception that you cannot breast feed AND treat PPD with medication if necessary (as well as other illnesses requiring meds)! I’ve talked to several moms who did not breast feed because they were under the impression that you cannot nurse while taking any meds whatsoever. I think it’s great that you got this out there, as there is unfortunately still stigma surrounding PPD, and thus moms don’t talk about it as readily.
i am convinced that breastfeeding on demand is the only reason i didnt get ppd. it relaxes me and makes me feel at peace. also breastfeeding and cosleeping is a better way to get sleep than supplementing because my husband isnt going to get up and make a bottle. also you introduce a huge list of supply problems when you supplement for no reason.
i am convinced that breastfeeding on demand is the only reason i didnt get ppd. it relaxes me and makes me feel at peace. also breastfeeding and cosleeping is a better way to get sleep than supplementing because my husband isnt going to get up and make a bottle. also you introduce a huge list of supply problems when you supplement for no reason…