All mums experience an intense emotional and physical transformation during pregnancy and the first year of a baby’s life, but for a significant proportion of us, this can lead on to full blown depression and anxiety and for a very small number, postnatal psychosis. The Baby Blues are a common expression for what happens to approximately 80% of all mums around the third to tenth day after birth. Because it is so common and temporary, we do not associate the Baby Blues as being a mental illness, but rather a natural state that is sure to pass once we settle into our new role as mothers. Symptoms include exhaustion, tearfulness, mood fluctuations, anxiety and irritability. Baby blues is thought to occur as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy, the labour, breast feeding and lack of sleep.
Unlike temporary baby blues, caused by hormonal dips and making big adjustments in your life, Post Natal Depression (PND) can last for months, affecting how you bond with your baby, your relationship and your wellbeing. 16% of women and 10% of new fathers go on to develop postnatal depression (PND). Postpartum depression usually sets in soon after childbirth and develops gradually over a period of several months. But it can also come on suddenly, and in some women, the first signs don’t appear until months after they’ve given birth.
In the beginning, postpartum depression can look like the normal baby blues. In fact, postpartum depression and the baby blues share many symptoms, including mood swings, crying jags, sadness, insomnia, and irritability. The difference is that with postpartum depression, the symptoms are more severe (such as suicidal thoughts or an inability to care for your newborn) and longer lasting. PND affects women in different ways. Being unusually irritable with your partner, insomnia, having no desire to have sex, and feelings of hopelessness can all signal postnatal depression. Worrying about your baby is natural – you are a mother. But if you feel uncontrollable anxiety or you’re afraid to be alone with your baby, something more may be amiss. If you are having a hard time since you had your baby, with little support, then it’s pretty understandable to feel miserable.
Women with a previous history of a mood disorder severe enough to require treatment including counselling or medication are at greater risk of developing depression during pregnancy than a women with no prior history of a mood disorder. Depression during pregnancy goes on to PND in 40% of women.
If this describe what you are experiencing, do seek help! You are not alone.
In the beginning, postpartum depression can look like the normal baby blues. In fact, postpartum depression and the baby blues share many symptoms, including mood swings, crying jags, sadness, insomnia, and irritability. The difference is that with postpartum depression, the symptoms are more severe (such as suicidal thoughts or an inability to care for your newborn) and longer lasting. PND affects women in different ways. Being unusually irritable with your partner, insomnia, having no desire to have sex, and feelings of hopelessness can all signal postnatal depression. Worrying about your baby is natural – you are a mother. But if you feel uncontrollable anxiety or you’re afraid to be alone with your baby, something more may be amiss. If you are having a hard time since you had your baby, with little support, then it’s pretty understandable to feel miserable.
Women with a previous history of a mood disorder severe enough to require treatment including counselling or medication are at greater risk of developing depression during pregnancy than a women with no prior history of a mood disorder. Depression during pregnancy goes on to PND in 40% of women.
If this describe what you are experiencing, do seek help! You are not alone.
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