Tag: Postpartum depression

  • ‘I wanted to harm my daughter’: Sarwat Gilani bravely talks about postpartum depression

    ‘I wanted to harm my daughter’: Sarwat Gilani bravely talks about postpartum depression

    Famous Pakistani actress Sarwat Gilani has bravely talked about her difficult experience with postpartum depression, including having thoughts of harming her newborn daughter.

    In a recent TV interview, Sarwat explained that she didn’t have postpartum depression after she gave birth to two sons so she didn’t know much about it. However, she went through severe postpartum depression after her daughter was born.

    She described meeting her daughter four days after birth because they were in different hospital wards after surgeries. During this time, her baby needed breastfeeding, but Sarwat was very depressed and had upsetting thoughts of dropping her baby to end the stress.

    “I was crying uncontrollably and told my husband that I wanted to harm our daughter to stop all the tension,” she shared with tears in her eyes.
    Sarwat talked about how many women lack proper information during their first pregnancy, often turning to books and social media for help. The first pregnancy is especially tough, she stated, recalling the many psychological challenges women face, making support from husbands and in-laws very important.

    “When a pregnant woman receives support from her family, it positively impacts her mental health,” she explained. Her husband helped her by explaining that what she was feeling was postpartum depression and that it wouldn’t last forever. His reassurance gave her much-needed comfort and understanding.

    Sarwat stressed the need for awareness about postpartum depression for both men and women, saying, “I realized then how important it is for everyone to understand this condition.”

  • We need more conversations about women and postpartum depression

    We need more conversations about women and postpartum depression

    After giving birth to a daughter for the third time, a woman jumped off the second floor of the hospital in Lahore, sustaining severe injuries.

    22-year-old Sidra Afzal was suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth to a baby girl for the third time in a row. She jumped from the second floor of the Lahore General Hospital.

    Postpartum depression is the name given to the wave or phase of sadness and anxiety some women experience after giving birth.

    Resultantly, oftimes, women do not feel like looking out or caring for the baby or themselves. They have trouble sleeping and eating and might constantly worry about the baby’s well-being. This condition can also make it difficult for mothers to bond with their baby or enjoy motherhood.

    As in Sidra’s case, according to Dawn newspaper, the initial investigation revealed that she wanted to avoid the “comments or taunts” passed by her relatives for not giving birth to a boy.

    As per hospital management officials, the incident took place when Sidra was undergoing treatment in the hospital’s labour room where she jumped from the window and sustained severe injuries and was admitted to the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PIN) in a critical condition.

    Sidra gave birth on September 18 at a private hospital in Kasur and was then brought to General Hospital Lahore.

    According to sources, Sidra had gone to use the washroom from where she jumped from the window and sustained several serious injuries.

    The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Professor Nudrat Sohail, said that Sidra reached the facility from Kasur, the doctors conducted tests and decided to again operate on Sidra. Considering her medical condition and complications, she was shifted to the intensive care unit where two female attendants looked after her.

    Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Prof Al-Fareed Zafar formed a five-member committee headed by Professor of Urology Dr. Dr Khizar Hayyat Gondal to investigate the matter and bring the facts before the public. The police are currently investigating the matter further.