Dads Get Postpartum Depression, too

Submitted by Matt on Fri, 2006-08-11 03:10

Hard to believe, except for men whose wives/partners have had children-- or is it? This is one less thing feminists can assert is the exclusive province of women, though I am sure some will try.

Does this mean if a man does something insanely violent after a baby is born he can claim it as a defense, too?

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Comments

Having a baby is a major, abrupt change. With my first child I cried for no reason, then I cried because I didn't know why I was crying. I was also having trouble nursing, and my husband just felt helpless. He couldn't pick up the baby without the child crying (he was hungry, after all). It was a feeling of "OMG, what do I do now???" He still talks about 5 years later, about how he woke up one morning and didn't understand why he felt helpless and overwhelmed.

A few weeks passed, and I got better at nursing (I also stopped crying). Dad also felt better, and more comfortable in his new role. The beauty of it all was we were able to support each other through this wonderful, yet tremendous change in our lives. It makes me wonder how single women have babies on their own, with no support or anyone to share parenthood with.

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Submitted by NotAFeminazi on Fri, 2006-08-11 05:07

When women reproduce or carry to term a fetus that was not wanted, and not planned - depression results.
oregon dad

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Submitted by oregon dad on Sun, 2006-08-13 22:47

Any other thoughts on this one? Baby blues are exceedingly common. My husband admits to being shell-shocked after our first. The second came along, and neither of us had any blues to speak of. Have any dads out there experienced this? When you're expecting, everyone tells you how different life will be, and you think you are prepared for that, but then baby arrives and it hits you like a Mack truck...only you live and you have to get up and feed the baby.

I ask about baby blues because these are normal feelings during postpartum, whereas PPD (and in some rarer cases, postpartum psychosis) is not.

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Submitted by NotAFeminazi on Tue, 2006-08-15 06:22