Depression During and After Pregnancy

   

    One special thing that could happen to a marriage is for a wife to bear a child. Being pregnant is a wonderful event in one's married life. However, pregnancy entails responsibility, proper care, and a ton of understanding from both the husband and the pregnant wife herself, and as much as possible from the people around and the community where the couple belongs. Nowadays, malls and public transportation provide designated areas and support signages for pregnant women. There are special provision or treatment given to pregnant women, yet, a lack or no knowledge of why is it being given still exist. 

      Yes ..physically, we all know what pregnant women feel but most people do not know the emotional and psychological aspects of being pregnant, why they feel, or why they act differently. And being misunderstood as one hormonal imbalanced woman during my pregnancy period, as well as after giving birth which is the more dangerous one than the latter, I have felt the urge to search and write about what I had been through. Depression occurs in this women's stages, aside from the pre-and post-menstrual period of a woman, pregnancy during and after enters into another stage of mood swings, also known as depression.
     During my pregnancy with my third child, though it was planned, there were days of crying, wanting my husband's attention then, worried about everything, and I slept late because I wanted to finish all the household chores-washing the clothes, mopping the floor, ironing the clothes, etc. I felt the same when I had my fourth pregnancy, I always felt tired then, and I lost interest in cleaning the house, which is the opposite of my third. The knowledge of having a baby with a congenital defect inside my womb added to my anxiety and the marital conflict I had with my husband. 

    After giving birth, I remember those times in my hospital bed when I cried and cried feeling alone, needing someone to talk to, and yet the one I am expecting to comfort me seems far away though near me. I don't know how long it lasted, I lose interest in everything, and I shut myself out from other people. But then I have to take my composure since I have a baby to care for who needs my special attention.

    Everything is history now and looking back still gives me some pain about whom to talk to and always being misunderstood. I do hope whoever reads, be patient with your pregnant neighbors or relatives, especially those who had just given birth, we may never know what they are going through. 

    And being a father-to-be for the first time, auntie or uncle, take note of these antepartum and postpartum blues, so you would know how to relate to or take care of them. For those who are pregnant feeling the same, do not be ashamed, it is not our fault and we can talk about it to our doctors and partners. Here is some information on the symptoms you might be experiencing.      

According to Mayo Clinic, some symptoms of antepartum (depression during pregnancy):

• persistent sadness
• unusual sleeping habits
• inability to concentrate
• loss of interest in the things/activities she usually enjoys
• feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• changes in eating habits
• anxiety/worry too much

These signs, however, are not exclusive or limited by themselves. A manifestation of 2 or more is an early sign of antepartum depression. 1 out of 4 pregnant women suffers from antepartum blues.

Depression after giving birth also affects 20% of women."Baby blues" is the early onset of depression after delivery which lasted up to two weeks, whereas postpartum depression lasted several weeks after giving birth. These two are commonly mistaken as the same, however, the latter is most intense and severe which requires medical intervention

Some symptoms of postpartum "baby blues" as stated by Mayo Clinic includes mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, crying without apparent reasons, feeling overwhelmed, sleeping and appetite problem, and reduced concentration. Postpartum depression (PPD),  is also known as Prenatal Depression.

The PPD symptoms are as follows:

• depressed mood or severe mood swings
• severe anxiety and panic attacks
• excessive sadness
• intense irritability and anger
• excessive crying
• loss of appetite or eating more than usual
• inability to sleep or excessive sleeping
• loss of interest in things she usually enjoys
• overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
• feeling of worthlessness and guilt
• inability to think clearly and concentrate
• difficulty bonding with her baby
• shutting out from family and friends
• thoughts of harming the baby
• fear of not being a good mother
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

You may click these other links for a more detailed discussion about antepartum and postpartum depression:

http://www.postpartumprogress.com/antenatal-depression-robbed-of-the-joy-of-pregnancy

http://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/depression-during-pregnancy-postpartum/
http://www.webmd.com/depression/postpartum-depression/

How to Remove Chiggers?

What are chiggers? Actually, they are from the family of mites, Trombiculadae. Chiggers are small, red bugs mostly found on the tips of grasses. This six-legged parasitic larva feeds not only on humans but also on rabbits, toads, turtles, quails, and other insects. Chiggers do not actually bite but inject digestive enzymes into the skin and chew up the tiny parts of the inner skin causing irritation and swelling. Chiggers affect warm-covered bodies and bites are often found clustered behind knees and tight undergarments.  Some exceptional cases have been found in the eye causing conjunctivitis. Protection from chiggers is necessary but prevention is better to avoid getting bites or allergens from chiggers. So, how to prevent chiggers from breeding in your yard and getting a bite off you?
 

chigger bites

The Chigger Habitat

Chiggers usually thrive late in summer, in dry tall grasses and thick vegetation. To avoid being bitten by chiggers, people should wear long pants and socks or boots. Anything that would cover the skin is necessary so as not to make you a chigger host. 

A natural way of removing chiggers

• If you have a lawn yard, regular mowing and pulling weeds are simple yet effective in getting rid of chiggers. Prune trees, bushes, and shrubs to allow more sunlight to go through and discourage chiggers to live.
• Flood the remaining grass, bushes, and shrubs in a mixture of soap and water to kill them off. Do it every week for a month. 
• Small mammals, such as mice, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, small dogs; reptiles, and amphibians are favorite hosts of chiggers. If you have some of these as pets in your house, do not allow them to hang around your garden or yard, to discourage chiggers from living in your yard. Remove water or a source of water and dense bushes from your yard that will invite reptiles and amphibians. 
• Prepare a natural, organic pesticide to ward off chiggers. Diatomaceous earth, made from soft sedimentary rock can be sprinkled into your yard. 
• Sulfur powder drives away chiggers due to its potent smell. Sprinkling some in your shoes and socks drives them away. 
• Household vinegar can also be personal protection from chiggers by applying it to the feet, legs, and midsection parts of the body.

 Chemical repellants

• Spraying DEET (diethyltoluamide) into your skin is one of the most effective insect repellents that can be used against chiggers. Before going on for a walk in tall grasses and shrubs, apply DEET that can last for two to three hours. Just be careful to follow the instruction when spraying or applying. 

• Permethrin repellents can only be applied in clothes against chiggers to stick into your clothes. Permethrin lasts for several days, even after second washing. Just follow the instruction for applying Permethrin repellents.

If chiggers have reached your houseplants, take them outside and soak them in a mild insecticidal soap with a safety label for houseplants or edible plants. Do it weekly for a month. 

Apply insecticide on hotspot areas with weeds and tall grasses with the following contents: 
bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, chlorpyrifos, diazinonbifenthrin, carbaryl, and cyhalothrin.

For extreme infestation, call a pest control professional. They are licensed and trained to use strong chemical formulations. Just be sure to find the authentic company or persons so as not to jeopardize your family's health and safety.

List of Taiwan Food Products Contaminated with DEHP

    

credit image to PRO-A Innovation Ltd

     The Philippine Food and Drug administration already posted on their website the list of food products contaminated with DEHP. However, the agency fears that many of these food products have possibly entered the country illegally. Click here for a List of Taiwan & other countries' food products contaminated with DEHP as per the list given to GMA News.

     According to Dr. Suzette Lazo of the FDA, DEHP (Di-2 ethylhexyl phthalates), can possibly affect a person's kidney and reproductive system, however, she reiterates that an adult with a lower dose and smaller amount of intake of these food products does no harm for it would be only excreted. Dr. Lazo emphasizes that extra caution should be given to children and fetuses inside the mothers' womb because of the effect on their development. Click here to know more about what is DEHP, what happens when it enters our environment, how one might be exposed to DEHP, and how it affects us and the children..

* Updates: DEHP can also affect the sexual preferences of men according to FDA.