Postpartum Depression
A combination of stress, lack of sleep and hormonal fluctuations can make new mothers vulnerable to anxiety and depression, and can affect even those who already have a child.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, baby blues affect up to 80 percent of all women who deliver. These feelings develop the first few days after delivery and are usually are gone by two weeks.
Postpartum depression (PPD) has symptoms very similar to those of the baby blues. However, unlike the baby blues, which go away in about two weeks, PPD symptoms continue and are more severe.
It is normal to feel overwhelmed, exhausted and anxious after giving birth to a baby, but these emotions should last two weeks or less. If you have “baby blues,” you may have the following short-term symptoms:
- Mild depression
- Tearfulness
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Decreased concentration
To help yourself recover, try to get as much rest as possible, even if you don’t sleep. Accept help when family or friends offer to clean your house, make meals or do laundry. Take a walk to get fresh air. Shower, wash your hair and put on clean clothes every day. Remind yourself that you will not always feel like this.
Postpartum depression is sometimes harder for patients and family members to recognize because its symptoms are very similar to those of the baby blues. However, unlike the baby blues, which go away in about two weeks, PPD symptoms continue and are more severe.
Signs of PPD include:
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Irritability
- Anger
- Feeling inadequate, overwhelmed or unable to care for the baby
- Feelings of shame, guilt or having failed as a mother
PPD occurs in 8 to 15 percent of women, yet its impact isn’t limited to the time period after delivering a baby: 27 percent of women with PPD develop it prior to pregnancy, 33 percent develop it during pregnancy and 40 percent develop it postpartum.
Diagnosis and next steps
At LVHN, each obstetric patient is first screened using the PHQ9 (Patient Health Questionnaire), which helps identify any type of depression. Then the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is used on a few different occasions postpartum. This short survey asks 10 questions about how you may have been feeling over the past week. It is given after delivery before you are discharged home, as well as at a postpartum doctor visit. It is sometimes used in pediatric offices when you take your baby to appointments.
PPD is treatable and is not a sign you do not love your child. For women diagnosed with PPD, treatment options include talk therapy (counseling), antidepressant medication or a combination approach.
If you think you might hurt your baby or yourself, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Women Adjusting to Various Emotional States (WAVES) Program
The WAVES program at LVHN is your lifeline if you find yourself struggling through PPD and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Motherhood can be an overwhelming, isolating and dark time for some women with the weight of depression, anxiety and self-doubt pushing many to their limits. WAVES is here to let you know you are not alone. This program, led by compassionate obstetric professionals trained in perinatal mental health, offers you education, personalized treatment and valuable resources, helping you navigate the emotional challenges of pregnancy and the first year of motherhood.
WAVES is more than just a service – it is a safe space where you can feel understood and supported, knowing you are not alone in your journey. With WAVES, you can find relief, regain your emotional footing and take steps toward healing so you can begin to embrace motherhood in a way that feels right for you.
If you’re wondering if WAVES is right for you, consider joining as part of your routine obstetrics care. You may benefit from WAVES if you have a history of postpartum depression or anxiety, take medication for anxiety or depression, have experienced the loss of an infant or pregnancy, or have suffered birth trauma. No matter what you’ve been through, WAVES is here to help you find your way through the darkness.