Inspira Health Postpartum Depression Services for South Jersey Moms

Are you a new mom or an expecting mom in South Jersey searching for local help with postpartum depression?

Inspira Health Postpartum Depression Services for South Jersey Moms

Every new mom or expecting mom in South Jersey should know about postpartum depression and how can get local help? Even if you don’t need it, chances are someone you care about will.

Whether you are expecting your first child, have a newborn at home, or have other children, each pregnancy is a unique experience. If you think you are at risk for postpartum depression or know a new mom who might be dealing with it, Inspira Health has a team in South Jersey ready to help.

When your new baby has arrived, you may be infatuated with him/her or them. You may feel more in love than you have ever felt possible and exhausted. You may also feel a little sad, overwhelmed, and fatigued. These are completely normal feelings for new mothers, even those who have had previous children. It is commonly referred to as the “baby blues.” But how can we identify when it becomes more than just baby blue?

Postpartum depression is entirely different from baby blues. Baby blues tend to resolve with no treatment and within about 10 days of a baby’s birth. Postpartum depression can last for months and may not even begin until several weeks after birth. New mothers suffering from postpartum depression can suffer from extreme fatigue, sleeplessness, severe mood swings, extreme anger, feelings of shame or guilt, and even thoughts of self-harm.

Postpartum depression does not just affect the mother, it affects the entire family, including the support partner, the new baby, and other children in the family. Your postpartum depression can cause your partner to feel as though they aren’t doing enough to support you, and it can make it difficult for you and other family members to bond with the new baby.

There is more awareness for postpartum depression now than there ever has been before. At Inspira health, they encourage getting ahead of any symptoms you may be facing and encourage you to talk about postpartum depression from the beginning, in order to give you the tools to recognize the warning signs and get you treatment if you see them.

As with all Inspira Health maternity services, the focus is always on moms and how to support them throughout their pregnancy and childbirth. Postpartum depression needs to be treated by a professional. By helping moms seek treatment, they feel better, and they get the love, support, and help they need to be the best mom they can be for their new baby.

The Inspira difference

This past month, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Josephine Urbina, M.D., an obstetrics and gynecology specialist at the Inspira Medical Group’s office in West Deptford. We talked about her role in screening women in her office and how Inspira Maternity Centers screen for postpartum depression. We discussed how she and Inspira Health support moms who may be at risk for postpartum depression. It was important for me to really understand how they screen women. While some women may be able to acknowledge they are struggling with their feelings and emotions and need help, others might not recognize the warning signs. In some cases, moms want help, but are just too embarrassed to ask.

There is no shame in asking for help. At Inspira Health, expecting moms can reach out at any time throughout their pregnancy or afterward, and they can expect to get the help they need.

Inspira Health supports moms struggling with postpartum depression in South Jersey

At Inspira Health, their dedicated obstetricians and certified nurse-midwives are committed to YOU during the postpartum period. Inspira health encourages honest dialogue and puts you and your family first. Additionally, Dr. Urbina and her colleagues offers a two-week postpartum visit and a six-week postpartum visit, ensuring they fully understand the life transition you’ve just experienced.

Postpartum depression screenings from the beginning

I questioned Dr. Urbina at length about what postpartum depression screening and education look like in the Inspira system. I wanted to know when screening begins and what an expecting mom could expect.

Dr. Urbina does a full screening for depression or anxiety with each expecting mom at least once during their pregnancy, typically in the first trimester. Even if the screening is negative, Dr. Urbina will continue to talk with each mom about their feelings throughout her pregnancy. If there is concern, or a mom requests it, another screening will be done during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Additional screenings are done during the third trimester, after delivery, post-delivery (when mom is back home with her newborn), and at mom’s routine post-delivery well visit.

What does the postpartum depression screening look like?

Inspira Maternity centers and OB/GYNs use screening questionnaires and discussions with patients to assess an expecting mom’s risk for postpartum depression. For example, patients with a history of postpartum depression are at a greater risk for reoccurrence. But past history is not the only risk factor. Dr. Urbina shared with me that half of women with postpartum depression don’t share typical risk factors.

Risk factors and symptoms for postpartum depression

• Feeling guilty
• Trouble bonding with your baby
• Difficulty sleeping, even when your baby is sleeping
• Oversleeping and feeling too tired to get out of bed
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Loss of appetite
• Feelings of failure as a mother
• Thinking your baby might be better off without you

Help with postpartum depression

What happens if it’s determined a mom might need help with postpartum depression? We work with behavioral health to get access to the services she may need. Inspira has a well-recognized behavioral health program.

What other postpartum depression resources can a South Jersey mom delivering at Inspira Medical Centers expect?

• Notes about her postpartum depression status will be a part of her medical chart.
• She will have a 1-to-1 nurse around the clock while laboring and delivering at any of the Inspira Medical Centers.
• Psychiatric care will be made available during her hospital stay.
• If medications are needed to treat the postpartum depression, they will be chosen with the mom’s concerns in mind. There are medications for postpartum depression that are safe for nursing moms.

Regardless of where you delivered your baby in New Jersey and who your doctors are – If you need help for postpartum depression, the New Jersey Department of Health has a warm line for postpartum wellness issues at (856) 675-5295.

A last thought about the Inspira Health postpartum depression services in South jersey

Postpartum depression is the most common medical condition in pregnancy, affecting 1 in every 7 women.

Let the team at Inspira Medical Centers be there for you. Lean on them when you are having a difficult time. Ask for help when you need it. Participate in the screenings. Know that more than anything else, Inspira wants to provide you with everything you need to own your pregnancy and take care of your baby.