Baby Blues? Learn about Postpartum Depression

How is postpartum depression different from “baby blues”?
“Baby blues” is a term used to describe mild and short-lasting mood changes and feelings of worry, unhappiness, and exhaustion that many women experience in the first 2 weeks after giving birth. Babies require around-the-clock care, so it’s normal for new mothers to feel tired or overwhelmed sometimes.

Mood changes and feelings of anxiety or unhappiness that are severe or last longer than 2 weeks after childbirth may be signs of postpartum depression. Women with postpartum depression generally will not feel better without treatment.

Women with postpartum depression often struggle with anxiety, sadness, difficulty sleeping, or disturbing thoughts. Research suggests that it is triggered by changes in hormones and that women with PPD are sensitive to those changes. PPD occurs in approximately 15% of births.

What are the signs and symptoms of perinatal depression?

Some women experience a few symptoms of perinatal depression, while others experience several symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms include:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
• Fatigue or abnormal decrease in energy
• Being restless or having trouble sitting still
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Difficulty sleeping (even when the baby is asleep), waking early in the morning, or oversleeping
• Abnormal changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
• Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment
• Trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with the baby
• Persistent doubts about the ability to care for the baby
• Thoughts of death or harming oneself or the baby or suicide attempts

Women who experience any of these symptoms should see a health care provider. A provider can determine whether the symptoms are due to perinatal depression or something else.

Doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Maryland are trying to learn more about the causes of, treatments for, and genetic factors in postpartum depression (PPD). PPD develops around the time a woman gives birth. The following links may be helpful and you may find more at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health.

perinatal-depression_2.pdf