Postpartum Depression

The time after you have a baby is supposed to be a time of joy and happiness. Your much-awaited bundle of sweetness is here and you are supposed to be over-the-moon and in love with your new child. Yet, for many moms, there may be a dark underbelly to their postpartum experience. Postpartum can be overwhelming — an overwhelming time of stress and fear. Some mothers also develop a serious mental health condition called postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression is defined by feelings of severe depression in mothers following the birth of a child and thought to be due to psychological adjustments to motherhood, hormonal changes, and fatigue — it’s also more common than most would suspect. About 1 in 7 moms develop postpartum depression after giving birth — some may even develop the condition during pregnancy. Postpartum depression usually affects moms in the first few weeks after giving birth, but others experience it several months down the road, even up to a year after giving birth.

Postpartum depression isn’t just a “sad feeling” you need to get over — it involves feelings of anxiety, extreme mood swings, and an inability to function normally. And while it’s true that most postpartum moms are generally prone to things like mood swings and stress, postpartum depression isn’t the same as “the baby blues,” a phenomenon experienced by about 70% of new mothers, usually attributed to shifting hormones and sleep deprivation.

A diagnosis of postpartum depression may be made when mood swings, anxiety and depression are severe, and last more than the first two weeks postpartum. Postpartum depression can be dangerous for both the baby and the new mother.

If you experience the following symptoms for more than two weeks and they are interfering with your day-to-day life, you may be experiencing postpartum depression:

• Loss of interest: Lost of interest in activities you previously enjoyed
• Changed behaviors: Change in eating habits or sleep
• Anxiety: Anxiety or panic attacks
• Intense feelings: Feeling guilty, like you can't connect with your baby, like a "bad mom" or a failure, numb, afraid to be left alone with your baby
• Intrusive thoughts: Racing thoughts, insomnia, anger, or irritability, sadness
• Concentration: Difficulty concentrating or focusing on tasks

The symptoms of postpartum depression sometimes take mothers by surprise, they comprise not just classic depression symptoms, but also include symptoms of anxiety, OCD, and even anger.

Some moms experience suicidal ideation. If you are having any thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, please dial 911 or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255).

In addition, if you are experiencing signs of psychosis or mania (hearing voices and experiencing hallucinations), you may be suffering from postpartum psychosis, a rare but very serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.

There are some factors that may make a mother more prone to developing postpartum depression, including:

• A difficult or traumatic birth
• A baby who is medically fragile or has spent time in the NICU
• A previous experience of postpartum depression
• A family history of mental illness
• A baby who has colic or is difficult to manage or comfort
• Financial stresses
• Lack of social support

It’s important to understand that postpartum depression can affect all mothers regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or even the strength of her support system.