What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is a serious illness that can occur in the first few months after childbirth. It also can happen after miscarriage and stillbirth.

Postpartum depression can make you feel very sad, hopeless, and worthless. You may have trouble caring for and bonding with your baby.

Postpartum depression is not the “baby blues,” which many women have in the first couple of weeks after childbirth. With the blues, you may have trouble sleeping and feel moody, teary, and overwhelmed. You may have these feelings along with being happy about your baby. But the “baby blues” usually go away within a couple of weeks. The symptoms of postpartum depression can last for months.

In rare cases, a woman may have a severe form of depression called postpartum psychosis. She may act strangely, see or hear things that aren’t there, and be a danger to herself and her baby. This is an emergency, because it can quickly get worse and put her or others in danger.

It’s very important to get treatment for depression. The sooner you get treated, the sooner you’ll feel better and enjoy your baby.

Signs and symptoms of postpartum depression

In the beginning, postpartum depression can look like the normal baby blues. In fact, they share many symptoms, including mood swings, crying jags, sadness, insomnia, and irritability. However, in postpartum depression, these symptoms are either longer lasting or more severe. Anxiety is also more prominent in postpartum depression. If you have postpartum depression, you may worry to excess over your baby’s health and well-being. In addition to obsessing over the safety of your newborn, you may be troubled by intrusive thoughts about harming your baby.
What is postpartum depression?

The blues:  Many new parents experience “the blues” shortly after arrival of a new baby. Symptoms might include crying jags, irritability, erratic sleep (outside of the demands of a new baby), anxiety and moodiness. The blues come quickly, and they typically go away quickly.

Postpartum Depression:   Postpartum depression isn’t fleeting. Symptoms often don’t appear until several months after delivery (thereby contributing to lack of diagnosis). They can include some or all of the following: exhaustion, sadness, hopelessness, confusion, memory loss, uncontrollable crying, lack of interest in the baby (or obsession with the baby), feelings of being overwhelmed, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, fear of harming yourself or the baby, resurgence of past emotional issues. See your doctor for help in treating your symptoms (and if these or other symptoms are interfering with your ability to care for yourself and/or the baby, seek immediate medical help).

Postpartum Psychosis:   Postpartum psychosis is much more rare, but it’s an emergency and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms usually appear within the first two weeks after delivery, and might include some or all of the following: severe agitation, hyperactivity, bizarre feelings and behavior, aggressive and/or suicidal tendencies, delusions, paranoia, confusion, hallucinations, severe insomnia.

Remember that 1) symptoms and severity vary from woman to woman, 2) you don’t have to be a danger to yourself or your baby to be suffering from postpartum depression, and 3) a new mom who’s had other children still can suffer from postpartum depression.