Postpartum depression (PPD) is a stealthy condition. I nearly missed it. I was visiting a close friend who had given birth to her first child about a month earlier. As I cradled her little boy, he let out a tiny perfect baby yawn and my heart melted. ?You won?t believe what he just did,? I gushed, as my friend emerged from her bedroom. ?It was the most adorable thing!? I expected her to rush over and investigate the cuteness I?d just witnessed. Instead, she held up her hand in an ?I can?t even? sort of way, stumbled into the kitchen to get some Advil and went back to bed.
I was dumbfounded. Why isn?t she more excited" Why doesn?t she seem connected to him" Though unspoken, my judgment blinded me from seeing what her lack of joy really indicated. A couple of months later, she was diagnosed with PPD and I realized how completely unsupportive I?d been. In those early weeks and months, new mothers need lots of help. A fair number of them?7.5 percent, according to Health Canada?experience depressive symptoms in the exhausting postpartum period. As soon as I realized my blunder, I took some overnight babysitting shifts so that my friend could get some rest and helped whenever I could. Whether you?re a friend, sibling or neighbour to a mother with PPD, here are some ways that you can be supportive.
1. Make it about her?not the baby

When you visit, don?t just ask about the baby. ?Tell yourself, ?I need to leave this interaction understanding how she is really feeling,?? ...