Postpartum Blues

Question 1

blumenstock and barber (2022)

Answer 1

• looked at the frequency of sexual intercourse across all weeks of pregnancy
• sexual intercourse frequency when down (conception to 11 weeks, up (11-21), and down (post 21) during pregnancy
• pattern followed the course of common pregnancy symptomolgy more closely than trimester cut offs

Question 2

Canadian study (2021)

Answer 2

• 203 couple completed online standardized measure multiple times during and after pregnancy
• all couples reported an overall drop in frequency of sexual activity that was still lower than baseline at 12 months
• mothers’ sexual desire decreased between mid-pregnancy to 3 months postpartum then increased from 3 months to 12 months pp
• 1/4 = reported high desire
• 1/3 = moderate desire
• 39% = discrepancy with moms reporting low levels
• 2/3 = high ad stable sexual satisfaction across time

Question 3

common reason for hospitalization, physiological changes, initial feelings

Answer 3

• hospital: was giving birth (5.3 days in 1984-85)(3.0 days in 1994-1995)(2.1 days now)
• Psyo: hormones
• estrogens and progesterone levels drop (comparable to menopause)
• lactation hormones (prolactin and oxytocin)
• body underwent considerable stress (exhaused, discomfort of episiotomy)
• initial: feelings of elation/relief with successful birth

Question 4

Postpartum period

3 levels

Answer 4

• within a couple of days
• moodswings
• babyblues experienced by 70% W for about 10-14 days (sadness, crying, irritability with mood swings)
• 18% moderate form of PPD 4 weeks after birth (depressed mood, insomnia, tearfulness, feelings of inadequacy, fatigue, irritability, inability to cope)
• 0.01% most severe: postpartum depressive psychosis
• women most at risk for PDP are bipolar, schizoaffective disorder, previous PDP (severe child maltreatment an higher daily cortisol in 3rd trimester predicted psychiatric relapse 4 weeks pp)

Question 5

PPD myths

Answer 5

• having PPD makes me a bad mother (they really just need help)
• we cry all the time (not all the time, they can be more anxious and irritated)
• PPD will go away on its own (PPD can turn to chronic depression if not treated)
• PPD happens immediately after birth (they usually have baby blues around 3 days after birth, PPD happens between 2 weeks after birth until the kid turns 1)
• PPD is all my fault (could have complications, relationship is struggling, stressful pregnancy)

Question 6

infertility causes and treatment (men)

Answer 6

• inability to ejaculate deep in vagina (erectile dysfunction and hypospadias)
• low sperm count (20 million/cc)(Cowper’s secretion skeptics)(visible sperm but low count - artificial insemination)
• poor quality sperm: mis-shaped, poor motility
• infectious diseases that effect testes (mumps) or prostate
• direct damage to testes (trauma, radiation)
• hypothyroidism and diabetes (low sperm count < 20 million)(correct with hormones)
• blockage of duct systems (microsugery)

Question 7

hypospadias and artifical insemination

Answer 7

• h: not common, urethra comes out of base instead of the tip and can’t get the sperm to where it’s suppose to go
• ai: concentration of sperm and injects it into the vagina

Question 8

infertility causes (women)

Answer 8

• failure to ovulate
• hormonal deficiencies
• endometriosis, vitamin deficiences, drug abuse, anemia, malnutrition, psyo stress
• blockage of reproductive systems
• infections of vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries (increased in incidence of pelvic inflammatory diseases in 20-24 yr olds that can produce scarring of tubes)
• cogential malformations
• tumors that obstruct
• microsurgert sometimes reverses problems

Question 9

infertility treatment (women)

Answer 9

• induce ovulation pharmacologically (clomophene, human menopausal gonadotropin)(dircetly on ovaries, multiple births = 8% artifical and 1.2% natural)
• in vitro fertilization
• embryo transplants
• surrogates
• freeze eggs when young
• new tech = expensive and psyo demanding (unreliable: high failure rate)(ethically complex)

Question 10

couples involuntarily childless

Answer 10

• 12-16% couples
• most cultures attribute this to biological women
• 40% product of male issues
• 40% female issues
• 20% both

Question 11

psychological impact

Answer 11

• issues of self definition (women = mother)(males = lineage, self esteem, damaged body, bio defective)
• stress on relationship and person psyo pressures
• loss of sexual pleasure (task orientation)
• alter their social interactions
• grief, anger, guilt (common emotions)
• anxiety attachment (sexual satisfaction (SS) and function)
• avoidance attachment (low partner SS and support seeking)

Question 12

infertility effects

Answer 12

• men found new things to do = women stressed more
• women found new things to do = men stress went down
• cross cultures researches are lacking for this, but if child bearing is central to the culture/identity will have a harder time coping
• timing of getting over it is different for everyone
• need to compromise and hear what the partner needs

Question 13

postpartum blues is (product of hormonal shifts, often used by women to avoid childcare responsibilities, char by psychotic breaks, associated with enviro factors, 2 of these)

Answer 13

• 2 of these:
• the product of hormonal shifts
• associated with enviro factors