Postpartum Mood Struggles

Coping with postpartum change and depression

Having a baby is supposed to be one of the happiest times in your life.  For 9 months, you await your child’s arrival with joy and anticipation.  What you may be less prepared for are the enormous physical, emotional and relationship changes that accompany childbirth.  While having a baby is a joyous event, it is also a time of tremendous challenge and change.

The Baby Blues
Even under the best circumstances, up to 90% of women will experience the “baby blues.”  Primarily a response to the hormonal changes of childbirth, you may feel sad, irritable, weepy, or moody.  Within the first several weeks after delivery these feelings should subside.  Be patient with yourself.

Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Approximately 20% of mothers develop Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, or Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.  Unlike the “baby blues”, these feelings intensify with time and may not go away on their own.  If you or someone you know is exhibiting the following symptoms, please seek the support of a licensed therapist:

• Recurrent and regular crying spells
• Frequent-irritability
• Recurrent angry outbursts
• Not wanting to be with your baby
• Fears of harming yourself or the baby
• Feelings of inadequacy as a mother
• Severe fatigue
• Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
• Feelings of overwhelm, hopelessness or despair
• Loss of appetite or dramatic weight gain
• Excessive worrying
• Obsessing about the baby despite reassurances from family, friends, and/or professionals
• Nightmares or flashbacks regarding traumatic childbirth or other previous trauma