Having a baby is a time of huge change and it is common to feel many different emotions. If after giving birth the feeling of tearfulness hasn't cleared up within a few weeks, talking to your midwife or GP can help.

As many as eight out of 10 women get what's known as the "baby blues". It normally begins within a few days of the birth, and common symptoms include bursting into tears for no reason, you may feel irritable and low or feel fantastic one minute and miserable the next. Fortunately, the symptoms only last for a short time.

If you become more unhappy or upset, or if your low mood lasts longer than a week, you might have postnatal depression.

Postnatal depression affects one in 10 new mums. You're more likely to develop postnatal depression if:

• you've been depressed in the past,
• there's a family history of postnatal depression or depression during pregnancy,
• you've had a difficult pregnancy, or problems with your baby's health,
• you feel isolated, with nobody close to talk to,
• you've had a recent bereavement,
• you have little money or nowhere settled to live,
• or you have twins or triplets, mainly because of the additional stress of caring for more than one baby.

But postnatal depression can happen to anybody, no matter what your circumstances, no matter how much you love your baby and there is no reason to feel guilty or ashamed.

The symptoms of PND are similar to those that occur with depression at any other time. They usually include one or more of the following. In PND, symptoms are usually there on most days, for most of the time, for two weeks or more.

• low mood and this tends to be worse first thing in the morning, but not always,
• not really enjoying anything, including a lack of interest in yourself and your baby,
• lack of motivation to do anything,
• often feeling tearful,
• you may lose your appetite and forget to eat,
• feeling irritable a lot of the time,
• feelings of guilt, rejection, or not being good enough,
• poor concentration (like forgetting or losing things) or being unable to make a decision about things,
• feeling unable to cope with anything.

If you or your family think you might be suffering from post natal depression, it's important to get help as soon as possible.

A doctor, midwife or health visitor will usually check for depression in all women who have recently given birth but sometimes fear of asking for help can be part of the problem, and you may need encouragement and support in getting it.

You can talk to your midwife or health visitor and explain how you're feeling. Don't wait for them to visit you. They will be able to assess and advise you. If you can't contact your midwife or health visitor, talk to your GP.

You may not be suffering from depression. Some women have postnatal anxiety, and may be feeling exhausted and worried about their baby's safety. Talk to your midwife, health visitor and doctor about this, too.

What can they do?

They may ask the following two questions when they see you (this may be during one of your postnatal checks or visits):

1. During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
2. During the past month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?

The answers to these questions may suggest you are feeling down. They may also ask you two questions to get an idea of your anxiety levels:

1. During the past month have you been feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge?
2. During the past month have you not been able to stop or control worrying?

It is very important that you are truthful about how you are feeling. You should not think that having PND makes you a bad parent or will mean that your baby is taken away from you.

Your health visitor will reassure you and may be able to make extra visits, so that you can talk. Some of them run groups where mums can get together and make new friends.

You can also see your GP and together you can decide on the right treatment for you.

The type of treatment that is best for you can depend on various things including:

• how severe your depression is and what symptoms you have,
• the impact of your symptoms on your ability to function (to look after yourself and your baby),
• whether you have had depression or other mental health problems in the past. What has worked best for you before if this is the case,
• the likely waiting time for any of the treatments available should your GP need to refer you,
• your current situation.
• your own preferences once the options, and pros and cons have been explained fully to you,
• in the case of medication the possible effects on the baby if you are breast-feeding.

There are antidepressants that are safe for breastfeeding mums. Antidepressant medication is often prescribed for PND, especially if the depression is moderate or severe. Symptoms such as low mood, poor sleep, poor concentration, irritability, etc are often eased with an antidepressant. This may then allow you to function more normally, and increase your ability to cope better with your new baby.Over time, with the right support and, if necessary, treatment, you'll recover.

HSSD are currently running a group to support mothers who are experiencing post-natal depression or who want to learn more about it. The group is headed by clinical psychologist Dr Sara Johnson who can be contacted on 725241 extn 3368. You do need to be referred by your GP for this course of 8 sessions. This is called the "breaking free course" and is highly recommended by those volunteers who have attended to help them.

If you feel too scared to take medication or are worried about a delay in attending counselling then there are alternative treatments you can try:

• Vitamins D and B
• Burning frankincense
• Yoga/swimming/walking any gentle exercise
• Mediterranean diet
• Cutting out alcohol
• Reflexology/acupuncture
• Pure magnesium oil 8
• Evening primrose oil
• Books to read: mindfulness , surviving post natal depression at home, no one hears you scream.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  ***further links and info for the above will follow but if you need immediate assistance please email [email protected]

Whilst only mothers can formally be diagnosed with postnatal depression, studies have found that around 4 per cent of fathers can also experience depression.

Similarly to mums, there is no single answer as to why some men can be affected, the increased pressures of fatherhood, more financial responsibility, changes in relationships and lifestyle, combined with a lack of sleep and an increased workload at home, may all affect a new dad's well-being.

There are some factors that appear to have a significant impact on dads experiencing PND are:

1. New dads are more prone if the relationship they have with their partner has been strained throughout the pregnancy.

2. There is also a moderate but clear link between a dad experiencing depression and his partner also suffering from depression.

3. Young fathers are more at risk because being young might mean that it is less likely that the child was planned. A young dad might therefore not feel ready to take on the new responsibilities that come with fatherhood.

A new dad's own personality, social factors, family history and past mental health history can also affect his chance of developing depression.

The symptoms of PND among dads can be similar to those found amongst new mums experiencing depression. Symptoms can include:

• feeling very low, or despondent, that life is a long, grey tunnel, and that there is no hope. Feeling tired and very lethargic, or even quite numb. Not wanting to do anything or take an interest in the outside world,
• feeling a sense of inadequacy or unable to cope,
• feeling guilty about not coping, or about not loving their baby enough,
• being unusually irritable, which makes the guilt worse,
• wanting to cry/crying a lot or even constantly,
• having obsessive and irrational thoughts which can be very scary,
• loss of appetite, which may go with feeling hungry all the time, but being unable to eat,
• comfort eating,
• having difficulty sleeping: either not getting to sleep, waking early, or having vivid nightmares,
• being hostile or indifferent to their partner and/or baby,

Men can sometimes feel uncomfortable about opening up about their feelings but it's so important that you seek the support you need. Share your feelings with people you trust. This could be your family or friends, a health professional or your own GP.