{"id":22350,"date":"2025-03-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/?p=22350"},"modified":"2025-04-29T11:19:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T16:19:38","slug":"%d0%bf%d0%be%d1%81%d0%bb%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%be%d0%b4%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b0%d1%8f-%d0%b4%d0%b5%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d1%8f-%d1%83-%d0%bc%d1%83%d0%b6%d1%87%d0%b8%d0%bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/ru\/postpartum-depression-in-men\/","title":{"rendered":"\u041c\u043e\u0433\u0443\u0442 \u043b\u0438 \u043f\u0430\u043f\u044b \u0442\u043e\u0436\u0435 \u0438\u0441\u043f\u044b\u0442\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0443\u044e \u0434\u0435\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0441\u0438\u044e?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a recent conversation about how postpartum depression (PPD) can lead women to have fewer children than they hoped, an acquaintance shared that the four-year gap between her second and third children was related to postpartum depression\u2026 in her husband. At first I thought that I\u2019d never heard of such a thing, but then I realized I had. Thanks to the power of the reticular activating system\u2014the part of your brain that sees every Honda Pilot on the road after you buy a new one\u2014I remembered that I had<\/em> seen an article somewhere in the not-too-distant past on paternal postpartum depression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the same factors that put moms at risk for PPD (plus a few unique ones) can put dads at risk, too. And postpartum depression in both men and <\/em>women is something we should take seriously. We know that maternal PPD negatively affects babies<\/a> (even as they grow older), and paternal postpartum depression can lead to <\/a>strained marital relationships, poor bonding with babies, and mental and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children. Here\u2019s what you need to know about postpartum depression in men.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New dads experience a steep hormonal drop too<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may already know that new moms experience an abrupt drop-off in the hormones estrogen and progesterone after childbirth. But did you know that new dads also experience a hormonal downshift? It\u2019s true. Men\u2019s testosterone levels\u2014which tick up when their favorite sports team wins, when they have sex, when they win or accomplish something, etc.\u2014begin to decline during pregnancy<\/a>, and then tank after the birth of a child, most especially during the first month postpartum. Recall from high school biology class that testosterone is responsible for male sexual development during adolescence, sperm production from puberty until death, sex drive, assertiveness, and competitiveness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fascinating 2011 study<\/a> found that when compared to single men and fathers with children older than one month, brand new dads had four to five times lower testosterone levels than the single men and levels twice as low as dads with babies aged 1 month to 1 year [1]. Fathers with babies aged one month to one year in turn had levels twice as low as single men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fascinating 2011 study<\/a> found that when compared to single men and fathers with children older than one month, brand new dads had four to five times lower testosterone levels than the single men and levels twice as low as dads with babies aged 1 month to 1 year [1]. Fathers with babies aged one month to one year in turn had levels twice as low as single men.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While higher testosterone levels are associated with going out and achieving in the world outside the home, including risk-taking and competitive behaviors, lower testosterone levels are associated with Dad staying home to guard the roost and to help Mom with caregiving. What\u2019s more, caregiving behaviors appear to keep<\/em> testosterone lower throughout the child\u2019s first year of life. Of course, these tendencies have obvious biological advantages<\/a> for a man\u2019s offspring, but it\u2019s unsurprising that a man experiencing this hormonal downshift might not “feel like himself\u201d during his child\u2019s first year of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dads are often sleep-deprived too<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And then, of course, there\u2019s the issue of sleep, which is both precious and fleeting during those early months with a newborn. Anyone who\u2019s experienced long nights (and days) with a newborn eventually comes to understand why sleep deprivation is considered a form of torture [2]<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, a breastfeeding mom will naturally experience more sleep deprivation than a new dad, but both parents will be affected to some degree. This may be especially true if both parents take shifts waking up to feed the baby during the night, as is often the case when parents decide to bottle feed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even if Dad isn\u2019t waking up through the night to feed the baby, he may be the one to get up and at \u2018em with any early-rising older kids, so that Mom can sleep for a few hours in the morning. Dads may also have inadequate or no paternity leave, meaning that they\u2019re going back to working full-time jobs when their child is just a week or two weeks old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who checks in on Dads?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arguably, we in America do a poor job caring for postpartum women\u2019s basic needs<\/a> for healthy diet, adequate sunshine, gentle exercise, community plus childcare support, and breastfeeding support. But we have at least some basic awareness that it would be a good idea to bring a meal over or text with Mom occasionally. Who even thinks to check in specifically on Dad?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new mom may take advantage of a breastfeeding support group, a new moms group at a church, or a mood disorders support group. What outlets exist for dads? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dads may struggle to connect with their wives and babies<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A child\u2019s birth ushers in new roles and responsibilities for both Mom and Dad. Sometimes, dads may feel left out of the caregiving, either by a mother who says or thinks \u201cYou don\u2019t know how to do x or y for the baby. Let me do it,\u201d or simply because Mom is able to breastfeed and gets substantial quality bonding time with the baby that way. Particularly if this is their first child together, both parents may have unvoiced expectations about who will do what in caring for the baby. This can all lead to feelings of helplessness in Dad, and disconnect between him and Mom, or between him and his baby.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 6-week minimum moratorium on sex (which is actually longer for a C-section, or if Mom suffered a severe tear or other birth injury) may also exacerbate feelings of isolation in Dad, since sex makes men feel secure, needed, and connected<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dads are expected to \u201cman up\u201d for their wives and families<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And if he should happen to recognize that he feels “off,”\u00a0 how does a father even begin to speak up about it when he is expected (and likely expects himself) to be the strong one and \u201ckeep it together\u201d for his wife and family? What is he to do if he\u2019s worried about his own wife? According to UT Southwestern Medical Center<\/a>, up to half of men whose wife or partner experiences PPD will also have symptoms themselves. But while a woman is encouraged to get help for PPD or postpartum anxiety symptoms, is there a double standard when it comes to dads, where society perhaps expects them to \u201cman up\u201d because they weren\u2019t the ones who gave birth or struggled with breastfeeding, etc.?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of postpartum depression in dads<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Postpartum depression symptoms may manifest differently in men versus women. According to UT Southwestern Medical Center, 1 in 10 new dads may experience PPD. They also say that the signs to watch out for include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n