Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is it alright to breastfeed when I am taking psychiatric medicines?
Many medicines are safe during breastfeeding. However, each medicine is different and it also depends on the dose combinations and the health of your baby. Your doctors will advice you about how to breast feed most effectively with the least problem to your baby. |
2. How can the family help?
• Encourage the mother to talk about her feelings
• Do not be judgmental
• Specifically ensure that she gets adequate sleep and support with infant care
• Make sure that someone is always with the mother and try not to leave her alone, especially when she is very ill.
• Make sure the infant is taking proper feeds.
• Help her reach out to others. Help her find support and healthcare.
• Help her cope (practically and emotionally).
• Offer help before she asks.
• Offer reassurance, praise, and show patience.
• Have confidence in her strength and recovery.
• Looking after a mother who is ill and a small baby may be exhausting even for you – try to get some rest, support and
talk to your friends, family and doctor if you are feeling overwhelmed.
• When in doubt always ask your doctor or nurse about how to proceed.
• Encourage the mother to talk about her feelings
• Do not be judgmental
• Specifically ensure that she gets adequate sleep and support with infant care
• Make sure that someone is always with the mother and try not to leave her alone, especially when she is very ill.
• Make sure the infant is taking proper feeds.
• Help her reach out to others. Help her find support and healthcare.
• Help her cope (practically and emotionally).
• Offer help before she asks.
• Offer reassurance, praise, and show patience.
• Have confidence in her strength and recovery.
• Looking after a mother who is ill and a small baby may be exhausting even for you – try to get some rest, support and
talk to your friends, family and doctor if you are feeling overwhelmed.
• When in doubt always ask your doctor or nurse about how to proceed.
3. What can I do for my wife to get better?
As a husband you can do a lot to help your wife recover.
• Express confidence that she would get better with time
• She needs verbal reassurance, affection, listening, and assist in housework.
• Try to take care of the baby. Spend time alone with your baby, to develop your own confidence.
• Talk to others who have been through this.
• Talk to your doctor if you feel things are getting difficult for you.
• Find ways to take breaks and develop support for yourself.
• If you can, be flexible with your schedule.
• If she is angry then you can say, “Can we take a break and talk about it later, when it is easier for both of us to talk?”
Don’t stop communicating. Verbalize your feelings instead of distancing from her.
• Encourage her to take breaks. Breaks are a necessity; fatigue is a major contributing factor to worsening
symptoms. If it is hard for her to be away from the baby, start with short breaks and build up.
• You will get through this. She will get better but gradually. The graph of recovery is not a straight line; it has ups
and downs that get easier with time.
As a husband you can do a lot to help your wife recover.
• Express confidence that she would get better with time
• She needs verbal reassurance, affection, listening, and assist in housework.
• Try to take care of the baby. Spend time alone with your baby, to develop your own confidence.
• Talk to others who have been through this.
• Talk to your doctor if you feel things are getting difficult for you.
• Find ways to take breaks and develop support for yourself.
• If you can, be flexible with your schedule.
• If she is angry then you can say, “Can we take a break and talk about it later, when it is easier for both of us to talk?”
Don’t stop communicating. Verbalize your feelings instead of distancing from her.
• Encourage her to take breaks. Breaks are a necessity; fatigue is a major contributing factor to worsening
symptoms. If it is hard for her to be away from the baby, start with short breaks and build up.
• You will get through this. She will get better but gradually. The graph of recovery is not a straight line; it has ups
and downs that get easier with time.
4. Do all women with postpartum mental health problems need to see a Psychiatrist?
If a woman had only postpartum blues or mild depression, she need not see a Psychiatrist and can consult her GP or
family doctor or a Counselor. However, if the problem continues for more than two weeks, the mother is not sleeping or
eating properly, is irritable and weeps often, it is better to consult a Psychiatrist.
If a woman had only postpartum blues or mild depression, she need not see a Psychiatrist and can consult her GP or
family doctor or a Counselor. However, if the problem continues for more than two weeks, the mother is not sleeping or
eating properly, is irritable and weeps often, it is better to consult a Psychiatrist.
5. Can psychological treatment alone help or when should psychological treatment be considered?
Psychological intervention alone may suffice if the woman presents with mild-moderate depressive or anxiety disorder.
Psychological interventions, particularly interpersonal psychotherapy will be important if women present with
significant distress associated to interpersonal stressors and conflicts. For severe depressive disorder, recurrent
depression, severe and disabling anxiety, and psychoses, a combination of pharmacological and psychological
interventions will be considered.
Psychological intervention alone may suffice if the woman presents with mild-moderate depressive or anxiety disorder.
Psychological interventions, particularly interpersonal psychotherapy will be important if women present with
significant distress associated to interpersonal stressors and conflicts. For severe depressive disorder, recurrent
depression, severe and disabling anxiety, and psychoses, a combination of pharmacological and psychological
interventions will be considered.
6. When should we seek emergency care for postpartum psychiatric problems?
It is advisable to seek emergency care if you observe the following in the mother
1) Being very withdrawn
2) Violent behavior
3) Abusive towards infant
4) Expressing suicidal ideas or has a made a suicidal attempt
5) Expressing thoughts of harming the baby
6) Refusal to feed the baby
7) Self-neglect, poor intake of water and food
8) Running high fever, headache, vomiting along with altered behavior
9) Unable to recognize her surroundings
10) Hearing voices and seeing things which no one else is able to
It is advisable to seek emergency care if you observe the following in the mother
1) Being very withdrawn
2) Violent behavior
3) Abusive towards infant
4) Expressing suicidal ideas or has a made a suicidal attempt
5) Expressing thoughts of harming the baby
6) Refusal to feed the baby
7) Self-neglect, poor intake of water and food
8) Running high fever, headache, vomiting along with altered behavior
9) Unable to recognize her surroundings
10) Hearing voices and seeing things which no one else is able to