Tackling POST-NATAL DEPRESSION

HOW MAXIMISING SLEEP CAN HELP REDUCE THE PREVALENCE OF PND

Dr Harvey Karp is on a mission. The celebrity paediatrician and author of baby bible The Happiest Baby on the Block wants to eliminate post-natal depression – or at least, bring down the numbers. You may have heard of his genius invention, the SNOO, a smart cot that uses motion, swaddling and white noise to help babies sleep an extra one to two hours a night (fans include Beyoncé, Mila Kunis and Carrie Bickmore). “We’re doing a study at Monash University which is looking at using SNOO to reduce postpartum depression as it also improves the mother’s sleep,” he says. Even though PND affects up to one in 10 women, it’s still misunderstood. Dr Karp is here to shed some light.

What are some common misconceptions about post-natal depression?

“One is that it happens postpartum. It can actually happen before you have the baby and it can happen months after the baby is born. The second is that it’s not common. It is – around 15 to 20 per cent of new mums will be diagnosed with postpartum mood disorder, which can be depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive thoughts.”

Why do so many women suffer from PND?

“Much of it is related to sleep-deprivation, which makes you prone to all sorts of mental health issues. But also most parents today in Australia are doing something which is very abnormal, which is to raise a baby on their own without an extended family to help. Up until 100 years ago people had multiple people helping. We are doing a job that nobody was meant to be doing alone.”

What are some of the triggers?

“A crying baby, feeling incompetent, a traumatic birth where you have pain after the baby is born, financial pressures, having multiples. Almost anything that stresses you, in addition to taking care of the child, can provoke post-natal depression.” What are some preventative measures that parents can take?

“Get your support group together. Have friends or family or a postpartum doula who can drop by and cook or clean or help take care of the baby while you shower or nap. Learn how to take care of an unsettled baby – learning the Five S’s from my book can help. Lean on technology. The SNOO Smart Sleeper can help and, white noise can help adults and children sleep better.”