The woman had a history of severe postpartum depression, according to her husband. She now shares the details of the tragedy, to alert other families.
Ariana Sutton has always wanted children. Neither she nor her husband, Tyler Sutton, imagined that, after the birth of their long-awaited first child, Melody, in 2018, her mother would be hospitalized twice, with symptoms of severe postpartum depression. Fortunately, she was treated and her mental health improved. The American couple got pregnant again. This time, twins. However, Nine days after giving birth to the children prematurely, the woman died by suicide.probably, according to experts, the victim of an even more serious condition: postpartum psychosis.
“Being a mother has been the best thing in the world for Ariana,” the widower said in an interview with the website. Today. “I thought if I kept my eyes open, it would be okay the second time around,” she said. The reality that awaited him, however, was quite different.
Because of her pregnancy, she became fearful and stopped using medications that controlled depression. Despite this, she saw a psychologist weekly and the midwife providing prenatal care she knew about her history of postpartum depression. Everyone was watching.
” There were no signs that anything was wrong. You would never have a clue. She kept making jokes about her swollen ankles and made jokes about how she couldn’t wait to drink a big cup of coffee. I never even dreamed it could happen. It happened so fast, so suddenly,” the children’s father complained.
The twins, Everly and Rowan, were born prematurely on May 22. According to Tyler, Ariana was devastated when the two were rushed to the NICU. “He started talking about how he wanted them back in his tummy. I was like, ‘Honey, they’ll be fine. ‘” he said, recalling that, however, his wife wasn’t listening.
The morning Ariana died, she got out of bed and expressed breast milk for the babies. The husband was relieved, because he thought it was a good sign. However, the day Everly and Rowan completed 9 days to live, her mother left a note and died by suicide.
” It was clear in the letter that she was depressed. She said she felt like a burden. It was far from a burden,” he stressed. ” He just needed help. I wish she had just waited for me to get home so I could help her.”
The onset of postpartum depression
The first time Ariana suffered from postpartum depression, the symptoms took a few weeks to kick in. Tyler told the Today that it all started when she became “almost obsessed” with cleaning the house. Also, she has begun to show excessive concern for water. That’s right: with water. “She kept thinking there might be bad elements in tap water and would call the supply company to discuss the matter. Even after they assured her everything was fine, she just couldn’t give up,” she described the husband.
The fact triggered the alert and noticed that his partner needed help. So she decided to take a break from work. “I thought this would give her an opportunity to relax and take care of herself, but it ended up having the opposite effect and made things worse. She was like, ‘My husband is doing my job and I’m a bad girl.’ mother'” he recalled. .
At that time, the then first-time mother had to be hospitalized twice. After receiving a correct diagnosis, she began treatment and, little by little, she began to resume her normal life. According to Tyler, it took psychiatrists months to find the right drug and dose, but when they finally got it right, her Ariana started to improve.
the relapse
When she became pregnant with twins, the wife told her husband she was concerned the drug might harm the babies and stopped taking it. However, several studies prove it the most commonly used antidepressants can be administered safely during pregnancy – under medical supervision.
One such survey, conducted on 145,000 women and their children followed in the United States for 14 years, showed that the use of common antidepressants during pregnancy does not harm the child’s cognitive or behavioral development. Additionally, the treatment was not associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or intellectual disabilities. The work was published in the scientific journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
According to psychiatrist Juliana Cavalsan, co-founder of Feel maternal project (SP), when the mother takes antidepressants and stops the drug abruptly rather than gradually, the risk of worsening of the condition is five times greater. Therefore, the recommendation is to maintain treatment and contact the psychiatrist and obstetrician who, together, should evaluate the best course of action.
The fact that Ariana’s symptoms came on so quickly with the twins could also point to postpartum psychosis, a rarer and more dangerous condition that affects one to two in 1,000 women after giving birth. ” Postpartum psychosis is a mental disorder that causes a split with reality. Women hear what no one hears, see what no one sees, hallucinate”, explains psychologist Rafaela Schiavo, Ph.D. in perinatal and parental psychology, author of hundreds of scientific papers on maternal mental health and professor at the Instituto Mater Online (SP ) The disease usually occurs in the weeks following delivery.
Watch out for symptoms
Unlike postpartum depression, when the mother is aware of what is happening or that she feels bad and can therefore ask for help, in cases of psychosis there is no such notion. “As the person loses touch with reality, it’s more serious,” says Rafaela. Here because, it is important that the partner, family members or even the obstetrician-gynecologist are aware of the signshelp.
And that’s exactly why Tyler decided to share his sad story. For him it is a warning to other families and also for doctors, in postpartum appointments or even during pregnancy, to pay more attention to the mental and emotional health of pregnant women.
“When pregnant women come to their first appointment and talk to their obstetrician, they should learn about postpartum depression – the risks and the signs”Tyler said Today. “And the conversation should continue throughout the pregnancy,” she added.
A crowdfunding page has been created on GoFundMe to raise money and help the widower raise three children as a single parent. The children, of course, still have no idea, but the eldest daughter, 5, misses her mother. “Ariana was Melody’s favorite person in the world,” Tyler said. “She was the perfect mother,” she concluded.
If you are suffering or know someone who may have problems leading to suicidal tendencies, there are services, such as the Life Enhancement Center (CVV), that can help. Telephone 188 is active available 24 hours.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
