• I have recently had a baby and I am feeling so sad, irritable, and exhausted

• I find myself crying more than usual and I feel isolated from my partner, they just can’t relate to me anymore

80% of women experience what is described as the “Baby Blues” or feelings of exhaustion, irritation, and moodiness shortly after giving birth. This happens because after delivery your hormones are rapidly changing and you are up with your new baby and getting less sleep than you’re typically used to. Often moms describe feeling more tearful or irritable than usual; however, the overall mood is still joyful. These symptoms usually begin one to three days after delivery and may last between one to two weeks. The key with Baby Blues is both the severity of symptoms and the timeline of symptoms. If these symptoms do not lessen after two weeks, contact a professional as you may be experiencing something more serious than baby blues. 

• Everyone tells me that I should be happy, but I am crying all the time and feeling guilt, shame, and hopelessness; no one in the world understands what I am going through

• I am not coping well with this new baby and all the new demands placed on me, maybe I wasn’t cut out to be a mother. Does this make me horrible?

Depression during and after pregnancy occurs more often than people think so you are not alone if you are experiencing this. More than 15% of women experience depression following childbirth, perhaps more given that many women who are experiencing these feelings do not seek help. Symptoms include low mood or depressed mood; sadness and excessive crying; loss of interest or pleasure in doing things; agitation and irritability; anxiety and constant worry; difficulty concentrating; disturbances in appetite and/or sleep; loss of energy; feeling of guilt, shame or hopelessness; feeling like you are not doing a good job as a parent; difficulty bonding with your baby; and/or possible thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Someone suffering from depression may experience some or all of these symptoms. Women are vulnerable to postpartum depression up to one year following delivery.

• I can’t turn my brain off, my mind is constantly racing and I have a dreaded feeling that something bad is going to happen

• Maybe I would feel better if I could sleep, but there is so much to worry about, I couldn’t possibly get to sleep

• If I told anyone about all the thoughts I was having, they would judge me; sometimes my thoughts even scare me

Many new mothers and parents experience some anxiety and worry after the birth of a new baby. But if your feelings of anxiety are interfering with your functioning, then you might be experiencing postpartum anxiety. Approximately one in every ten women experiences this kind of anxiety after giving birth and 6% of women experience anxiety while still pregnant. Anxiety symptoms often include, constant worry; feeling like something bad might happen to your or your baby; racing or intrusive thoughts; disturbances in sleep and appetite; difficulty sitting still or concentrating; and physical symptoms like dizziness, hot flashes, racing heart, and nausea.

• I am experiencing obsessive thoughts, impulses and images that don’t feel like who I am, but I feel like I need to act out an impulse or compulsion to keep the thoughts away

• I desperately want to be a good mother and keep my baby to be safe, and I am afraid to be left alone with my baby

• I find myself washing bottles or pump parts over and over again; no one can help because no one else does it right

Mothers who experience postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may never have had a diagnosis of anxiety or OCD before, but suddenly cannot escape their intrusive, irrational, and upsetting thoughts (obsessions) unless they engage in a repetitive act (compulsions); such as cleaning constantly, checking things many times or counting and reordering over and over. You do not have to be diagnosed with OCD to experience these common symptoms of perinatal anxiety. It is estimated that as many as 5% of new mothers and new fathers will experience these symptoms. The repetitive and intrusive thoughts and images can be scary and feel like they come out of nowhere. 90% of moms have intrusive thoughts and 81% of dads and partners. Sometimes normalizing these thoughts and knowing that there is a name for what you are experiencing can be helpful. It is important to know that moms with postpartum OCD know that their thoughts are bizarre and are usually disturbed or upset by them; therefore, they are more likely to avoid what triggers them rather than do any harm to their babies. 

• After having my baby I am experiencing periods of a severely depressed mood followed by a period where I feel better than usual

• I do not need to sleep, yet I have a ton of energy, I am really talkative and feel overconfident in my abilities

To meet the criteria for bipolar disorder, symptoms must last longer than four days and interfere with functioning and relationships. The up and down cycles and emotional states are more than moodiness common in pregnancy and postpartum. In pregnant and postpartum women, a bipolar disorder can look like severe depression or anxiety followed by elevated mood; rapid speech; decreased need for sleep; continuous energy; racing thoughts; overconfidence; delusions; impulsiveness or poor judgment; grandiose thoughts and inflated sense of self-importance. A personal or family history of bipolar disorder, pre-existing mental health conditions, traumatic birth experiences, and sleep deprivation could be potential risk factors. For other women, the postpartum period might be the first time that she realizes she has bipolar mood cycles.

• I am experiencing delusions and beliefs that others might think are strange, but they feel real to me

• I am hearing things that other people do not hear or see things that others do not see

• Sometimes I think that other people might know what I am thinking, which makes me feel suspicious and paranoid

If you are hearing things others are not; feeling like others are out to get you or your baby; or if you are having highly unusual thoughts or strange delusions, you may be experiencing postpartum psychosis. While postpartum psychosis is rare, it is a serious disorder and requires immediate medical attention.

Women suffering from postpartum depression may do things they might not otherwise do given their altered state. Postpartum psychosis is temporary and treatable with professional help, but it is an emergency and it is essential that you receive immediate help. Please call 911 if you or someone you know is experiencing postpartum psychosis.