Recognizing the Signs of Postpartum Depression

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Settling in at home with baby is an emotional process. 

While postpartum depression doesn't happen for everyone, it's more common than you might think. Over 600 thousand women develop postpartum depression each year in the United States.

Everyone's body is unique and even if these symptoms don't develop immediately, mothers can develop postpartum depression a year or more after their baby is born. This emotional stress can manifest in anxiety, OCD, depression or even psychosis. 

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

There are incredible resources for parents experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression that can be accessed easily and privately online. Postpartum Progress has an impressive index of resources and articles for new mothers and partners that are feeling this emotional strain. 

Here are some major signs that the way you're feeling is more complex than the baby blues.

You are Overwhelmed

You feel overwhelmed. Not like “hey, this new mom thing is hard.” More like “I can’t do this and I’m never going to be able to do this.” You feel like you just can’t handle being a mother. In fact, you may even be wondering whether you should have become a mother in the first place.

You Feel Guilty

You feel guilty because you believe you should be handling new motherhood better than this. You feel like your baby deserves better. You worry whether your baby can tell that you feel so bad, or that you are crying so much, or that you don’t feel the happiness or connection that you thought you would. You might feel guilty that you're spending so much time on how you're feeling and not spending enough attention to your baby.

You Don't Feel Attached

You don’t feel bonded to your baby. You’re not having that mommy bliss that you see on TV or read about in magazines and you can't understand why. Not everyone with postpartum depression feels this way, but many parents do. 

Your Sleep Pattern is Disrupted

You can’t sleep when the baby sleeps, nor can you sleep at any other time. Or maybe you can fall asleep, but you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep no matter how tired you are. Or maybe all you can do is sleep and you can’t seem to stay awake to get the most basic things done. Whichever it is, your sleeping pattern is completely out of sync and it’s not just because you have a newborn.

You're Feeling in Extremes

You feel irritated or angry. You have no patience. Everything annoys you. You feel resentment toward your baby, or your partner, or your friends who don’t have babies. You feel out-of-control rage. Or you just feel nothing; emptiness and numbness. Sometimes this can feel like being stuck in a continuous cycle.

Speak up and out about how you're feeling, even if it's difficult. 

It might not always be easy to talk about your feelings, especially when they feel overwhelming or like something you can't justify. Opening the line of communication can help you find the resources and support you need to nourish your emotional health during the postpartum period.

Here are some major signs that the way you're feeling is more complex than the baby blues.

You are Overwhelmed

You feel overwhelmed. Not like “hey, this new mom thing is hard.” More like “I can’t do this and I’m never going to be able to do this.” You feel like you just can’t handle being a mother. In fact, you may be wondering whether you should have become a mother in the first place.

You Feel Guilty

You feel guilty because you believe you should be handling new motherhood better than this. You feel like your baby deserves better. You worry whether your baby can tell that you feel so bad, or that you are crying so much, or that you don’t feel the happiness or connection that you thought you would. You might feel guilty that you're spending so much time on how you're feeling and not spending enough attention to your baby.

You Don't Feel Attached

You don’t feel bonded to your baby. You’re not having that mythical mommy bliss that you see on TV or read about in magazines and you can't understand why. Not everyone with postpartum depression feels this way, but many parents do. 

Don't hesitate to take control of your emotional well being. 

While it can be difficult to speak up when you're feeling emotionally strained, it's an important part of seeking the support you need to manage your emotional health.  Recognizing the symptoms of postpartum depression is an important defense for new parents to identify what they're feeling and empower them to seek help.