Shulamit Glaubach MD heads a private psychiatry practice in San Francisco where she treats postpartum depression. Postpartum depression affects women who have given birth and can cause feelings of shame, anxiety, sadness, and mood swings. It is more common in women with a history of depression or who experienced it with prior pregnancies. Children of mothers with untreated postpartum depression may develop social difficulties. There are treatment decisions to consider, with the priority being a healthy mother. Many women hesitate to seek help due to mistaken beliefs that their feelings indicate a character flaw, when postpartum depression is a real condition affecting women of all backgrounds.

1. Shulamit Glaubach MD

2. Introduction
 Shulamit Glaubach, MD, heads a private psychiatry practice in
San Francisco, California. There, Shulamit Glaubach, MD, sees
patients dealing with a variety of conditions, including women
who have postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression affects women who have given birth, and
can deeply affect the mother’s well-being. Women who have a
history of depression or have experienced postpartum
depression in prior pregnancies are more at risk. For instance,
she may worry constantly that she won’t be a good mother or that
she is no longer attractive. She might put a lot of pressure on
herself to be an ideal mother as well as have difficulty bonding
with the baby. Feelings of shame, anxiety, and sadness
commonly accompany postpartum depression, as can mood
swings or thoughts of harming oneself or the child.

3. Postpartum Depression
 Women who don't take time for themselves are more likely to
feel exhausted, distraught, and doubt their parenting abilities.
Children who are brought up with postpartum depression may
develop social difficulties if the postpartum depression is not
effectively treated.
There are decisions that need to be made to prevent and treat
postpartum depression such as taking antidepressants while
pregnant or nursing, including the decision to nurse or not
nurse. The outcome of any decision should be one that
encourages a healthy mother as the priority.
Despite the seriousness or the condition, many women hesitate
to get help for postpartum depression, mistakenly believing that
their feelings are due to a flaw in their character.

4. Conclusion
 These feelings might be reinforced by others, who
dismiss postpartum depression by saying that the
mother should be happy to have a child or that she is
just being selfish or self-indulgent. However,
postpartum depression is a real condition that should
be treated seriously, affecting women of all
backgrounds. In fact, about one in seven women
experience depression following having a child.
Therefore, if you or a loved one seem to have the
condition, seek help. Support groups, antidepressant
medication, and other therapy are just some of the
ways that it can be successfully treated.