Postpartum depression (PPD) may develop a few days or even months after childbirth. PPD can happen after the birth of any child, not just the first child. Feelings similar to the baby blues - sadness, despair, anxiety, irritability - are present but felt much more strongly. PPD may interfere with normal daily activities. If this is the case, help is needed for treatment and/or support. While PPD is a serious condition, it can be treated with medication and counseling.
Postpartum psychosis is a very serious mental illness that can affect a new mother. The episode of psychosis usually begins within one to three months after delivery. The mother with postpartum psychosis may lose touch with reality and have auditory hallucinations (hearing things that are not actually happening, like a person talking) and delusions (perceiving things differently from the way they are). Visual hallucinations (seeing things that are not there) are less common. Other symptoms may include insomnia, agitation, anger, and irrational guilt about somehow having done something wrong. Women who have postpartum psychosis need prompt evaluation and treatment and almost always need medication. If they are at risk for hurting themselves or someone else, women with postpartum psychosis need to be in a hospital. Post-partum psychosis is very rare, affecting 1 in 3 women/1000 births. Currently, it is thought to be a separate condition from post partum depression.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Bromocriptine, Cabergoline, Chlormezanone, Chlorotrianisene, Clomiphene, Cyclofenil, Diethylstilbestrol, Dinoprostone, Lisuride, Metergoline, Quinagolide
Off-Label Prescription Drug Breakthrough Option: Tegretol (Carbamazepine)
Premature or pre-term labor is labor that begins more than three weeks before you are expected to deliver your baby (but after the 20th week of pregnancy). Contractions (tightening of the muscles in the uterus) cause the cervix (lower end of the uterus) to open earlier than normal. Pre-term labor may result in the birth of a premature baby. However, labor often can be stopped to allow the baby more time to grow and develop in the uterus.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Bretylium, Moxalactam, Quinestrol, Ritodrine, Tocainide
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Albuterol, Betamethasone, Dexamethasone, Diltiazem, Indomethacin, Isoxsuprine, Ketorolac, Magnesium Sulfate, Nicardipine, Nifedipine, Sulindac, Terbutaline
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