Grab it now!

We’ve sniffed out eleventh hour deals at thefragranceshop.co.uk where prices have tumbled on designer perfumes. Two that caught our eye are Michael Kors’ Sexy Blossom Eau de Parfum (50ml), down from £60 to £36 and Versace Yellow Diamond Eau de Toilette (50ml) now £55 instead of £35. But be quick as the offers end on Sunday.

Postpartum depression used to be called the “baby blues”, the natural anti-climax that follows many births, until we found it was much more serious than that. Now we know it sometimes extends for years after giving birth.

In a study, researchers asked more than 4,500 women about their symptoms of depression four months, then one, two, and three years after birth. Symptoms included anxiety, sadness, difficulty sleeping and self-blame.

Results placed women into four groups. Most had few to no symptoms over the three years.

A second group had few to no symptoms four months after giving birth, but these grew worse over time. This was seen in about one in 12 women.

Another one in seven had moderate symptoms that got better over time. But about one in 20 women experienced high levels of depressive symptoms that remained high for three years.

Women who’d had a previously diagnosed mood disorder were the most likely to have long-lasting, more severe symptoms. Currently, doctors screen mothers for postpartum depression for up to six months after birth but not later.

This study points to screening for a longer time to identify more women who are struggling with depression.

“Our study indicates that six months may not be long enough to gauge depressive symptoms,” says National Institutes of Health scientist Dr Diane Putnick, who led the study. She added that longterm monitoring of mothers was important to understand the threats to their mental health.

“My two-year-old cockapoo, Kia, has recently given birth to a litter of five puppies. Here’s one of the one-week-old girls taking a nap on Mama Kia’s neck – can you spot her?” says Karen Mcelvaney in Eston, Middlesbrough.