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Thanks for highlighting this @CoronaMama1! “Depression” isn’t the only part of that phrase that’s problematic. I always make the point in trainings: It’s not just “postpartum” & it’s not just “depression” (h/t Adrienne Griffen of @MMHLA2 for making it a mantra 
) [thread] https://twitter.com/coronamama1/status/1276610899667795972
) [thread] https://twitter.com/coronamama1/status/1276610899667795972
We’ve been advocating to call them “Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders”, which covers both the time period (pregnancy thru 1st year) & the range of manifestations (depression, generalized anxiety, bipolar disorder...) But PMADs doesn’t really roll off the tongue though, does it?
Most #PPD cases start in pregnancy. But the vast majority of pregnant women are not screened, nor provided with psycho-education, so they end up suffering needlessly, while often assuming “I guess this is what pregnancy is like for me” and “It will get better when the baby comes”
(Meanwhile, all pregnant women are screened for & educated about gestational diabetes and hypertension. Of course these diseases are important to know about, but *combined* they don’t come close to equaling the prevalence of PMADs)
And if a woman has depression or anxiety in pregnancy, it is unfortunately not likely to just “go away” when the baby is born (cue: sleep deprivation, big hormonal fluctuations and massive life transition)
As @CoronaMama1 point out, anxiety is also super common during this whole period. But - here comes a fun curveball - anxiety is not just a symptom, it’s also a group of disorders: PTSD, OCD, panic attacks, phobias, and of course generalized anxiety are all in that category.
A woman can be suffering from anxiety without really having classic “anxiety” as a symptom. Instead she could have trouble making decisions, concentrating, or relaxing. She may find she can’t stop thinking about a certain topic (often to do with the baby)
If she has PTSD from a traumatic childbirth, she may be hypervigilant about her baby (so appear to others as “high-strung” or “nervous”), have flashbacks & be unable to return to the place where she gave birth
If she has perinatal OCD, don’t look for her to be washing her hands all the time. She might not even have any “compulsions” (the C), but she might be overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts (the O) that she is terrified to share with anyone, even her partner
[Trigger warning] I have worked with moms who had sudden thoughts about dropping their baby down the stairs, putting the baby in the microwave, and stabbing their stomach while pregnant. ALL of these women wanted & loved their children. NONE of these women had psychosis.
