ABSTRACT
Although there has been much more education and awareness about Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs), most women don’t expect it to happen to them and are not prepared when it does. Chapter 2 describes PMADs as being the number one complication of pregnancy. The hormonal drop after pregnancy can trigger mood changes such as depression and anxiety but PMADs can even affect adoptive parents as well. Chapter 2 provides education about the different PMADs. We describe the differences between the Baby Blues and other Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, such as Perinatal Depression, Perinatal Anxiety, Perinatal OCD, Postpartum Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Postpartum Psychosis. We explain how duration, intensity and frequency of symptoms can differ and how delayed onset of symptoms is common as well. We use bullet points to easily show what it looks like when symptoms interfere with functioning. PMADs are explained as an umbrella term to describe several ways that a woman can feel during and after pregnancy. We use graphics to highlight the range of diagnoses along with vignettes to provide examples. At the end of Chapter 2, the reader can review their current symptoms and begin to develop a treatment plan.
