{"id":413,"date":"2021-11-12T15:59:50","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T16:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jaguarviber.com\/?p=413"},"modified":"2022-12-26T15:06:02","modified_gmt":"2022-12-26T15:06:02","slug":"adoptive-parents-can-also-experience-the-baby-blues-heres-why-that-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jaguarviber.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/12\/adoptive-parents-can-also-experience-the-baby-blues-heres-why-that-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Adoptive Parents Can Also Experience the \u201cBaby Blues\u201d \u2013 Here\u2019s Why That Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

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November is National Adoption Month<\/a>, when our nation recognizes that families come in all shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n

The celebration presents an ideal moment to think more deeply about ongoing efforts to improve our nation\u2019s maternal health outcomes<\/a>. This important work will need to be vast in scope, and some of it should take into account that not all new family relationships are biological. Newly adoptive and foster parents need support through challenges to health and well-being too.<\/p>\n

Helping parents overcome postpartum depression<\/a> is a significant component of any meaningful effort to improve maternal health. Few people realize, however, that adoptive parents can also experience \u201cthe baby blues,\u201d or, post-placement depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Welcoming a new child into a family is a joyous occasion. Still, both biological and adoptive families will inevitably confront an array of complexities when the new child arrives. Providers should be ready to act when new parents exhibit signs that the new household dynamic is putting a strain on mental health.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Causes of Post-placement Depression<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There is a slim but growing body of research exploring the similarities in how biological and adoptive parents experience depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Adoptive parents don\u2019t experience the sudden hormonal changes that typically follow any childbirth. But neurochemical change is not the only contributor<\/a> to depression. Psychological and social changes also play powerful roles, and these factors are not unique to biological parents.<\/p>\n

Dramatic increases in stress, changes in sleep habits, fatigue and shifts in lifestyle can lead to depression. More often than not, parenthood \u2013 whether biological or adoptive \u2013 brings all these changes. New parents also experience significant shifts in their support networks as caretaking responsibilities leave them with less time for social connection. Furthermore, parents who adopt are more likely to have experienced the challenges of infertility, which is significantly associated with depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that depression isn\u2019t limited according to gender<\/a> either. Fathers and non-binary partners can experience it too.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Parents and providers should be on the lookout for these common symptoms:<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n