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Postpartum Depression : A Type Of Depression

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Abstract Postpartum depression is a type of depression that women can experience after giving birth. It is similar to depression, but women also experience thoughts of harming the baby, feeling disconnected, or in general worry that they are not being a good mother (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, 2013). When it comes to seeking help for this, most women can feel ashamed of what they are experiencing and may not seek the proper help they need. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on postpartum depression and how it relates to John Bowlby’s theory of attachment. Bowlby’s theory focuses on the attachment being an innate and that mothers and infants need to stay close with one another (McLeod, 2007). As an advanced practice nurse, being able to understand, diagnose and treat women with postpartum depression is important as if diagnosed early, it is a very treatable illness with positive outcomes. Keywords: John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory, Postpartum Depression, Postpartum depression interferes with the care a mother is able to provide to her infant and can occur right after birth or up to several months later. The exact cause of postpartum depression (PPD) is not known but research has thought it can be related to changes in hormone levels and changes in lifestyle. Most women do experience the “baby blues” and feel anxious, tearful and irritated in the first weeks after delivery. These feelings however usually go away. Postpartum

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