Baby Blues & Perinatal Postpartum Depression
The birth of a baby is a beautiful event filled with anticipation, happiness, and excitement when welcoming the new baby. You have probably had dreams of being delighted after childbirth. Instead, you face disappointment, confusion, and heartache in not understanding your emotions and responses to motherhood impacting your mental health and well-being. Moreover, attachment bonds negatively affect your ability to provide an emotional connection and bond with your baby.
While it’s common for new mothers to experience a temporary episode of the “baby blues” after childbirth, it’s important to note that postpartum depression can strike unexpectedly. This condition, which affects one in every eight to ten women, can develop within one year or more after the birth of a newborn infant. The onset of postpartum depression is often due to hormonal imbalances, which can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and moodiness.
It’s not uncommon for new mothers to feel hesitant or ashamed to share their postpartum depression symptoms, even with their physician. Many may fear that these feelings and thoughts make them bad mothers. However, it’s crucial to understand that postpartum depression is not a character flaw or a sign of personal weakness. It can affect any woman, regardless of her culture, age, race, or socioeconomic status.
Most new mothers experience postpartum “baby blues” after childbirth, which commonly include sensitivity, mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. These symptoms typically begin within the first two to three days after delivery and may last up to two weeks. However, if these symptoms persist beyond this period, it could be a sign of postpartum depression, a more severe form of depression that requires professional help.
What Is Perinatal Depression?
It is one of the most common Obstetric & Gynecology medical complications for women during pregnancy and the postpartum period after pregnancy. The condition affects one in seven women and begins during pregnancy, throughout the pregnancy, and the twelve months after giving birth.
Symptoms of Perinatal Depression
- Frequent crying or weepiness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Low energy
- Appetite changes
- Loss of enjoyment in pleasurable activities
- Increased anxiety
Baby Blues Symptoms
These typically last only a few days to one or two weeks after your baby’s birth and dissipate after this period.
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Irritability and moodiness
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Crying spells
- Poor concentration
- Appetite problems
- Sleeping disturbance
Postpartum Depression Symptoms
- Sadness and unmanageable crying
- Isolating from family and friends
- Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
- Changes in appetite – overeating or undereating
- Excessive irritability, anger, and worry
- Being afraid and fearful
- Lack of energy and motivation
- Difficulty forming a bond with your baby
- Guilt, despair, unworthy, hopeless
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of self-harming or suicide
- Thoughts of harming the baby
- Postpartum Depression Risk Factors
- Previous depression diagnosis
- Postpartum depression in previous pregnancies
- Miscarriages and Infant Grief and Loss
- Becoming a first-time mother
- A family history of mental illness: bipolar, depression, anxiety
- An alcohol and substance abuse history
- Past trauma history of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse
- Medical complications at birth and delivery
- Extreme sleep deprivation
- Baby’s health and medical challenges
- Lacking support from your partner, family, and friends
- High stress related to interpersonal relationship issues
- Previous menstrual cycle moodiness
- Experiencing depression during the pregnancy
- High stress with financial, immigration, or legal issues
- Multiethnic and multiracial bias and microaggressions
If You Are Experiencing a Crisis, Suicidal Thoughts, or Thoughts of Harming Your Baby
- Immediately call 911 or the local hospital emergency room
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK
- (1-800-273-8255) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.
- Contact the Crisis Text Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Text HELLO to 741741.
- Seek help from your primary care physician
- Call a mental health professional
- Reach out to your partner, close friend, or family.
- Contact a spiritual leader in your faith community.
