Baby Blues
vs.
postpartum depression

Two of the most commonly heard about post pregnancy complications are baby blues and postpartum depression (PPD).  Knowing the difference between the two is critical in helping a woman who is suffering get treatment and healing quickly.  70-80% of postpartum women experience feelings of weepiness, mild mood swings, anxiety, irritability and increased stress which make up the baby blues.  These symptoms last from a few days  up to 2-3 weeks postpartum and usually resolve on their own.  Baby blues do not interfere with the new mom's ability to function. If symptoms start to become disruptive to mom's daily life or last longer than 2-3 weeks that is indicative that there is something more serious going on.  

 PPD is very common among new mothers occurring in 1 out of 7 women.  Symptoms of PPD can look different for every woman.  For some woman PPD looks like a lack of energy, not wanting to get out bed, loss of interest in things they used to enjoy, crying for no reason and for other women PPD involves feelings of anger, irritability, anxiety, and still for other woman it may involve feelings of hopelessness accompanied by thoughts of suicide. 

Postpartum depression is 100% treatable.  The onset of PPD can occur anytime during the first year after delivery.  Other common times are when a woman weans her child from breast feeding or when her menstrual cycle resumes.   The important thing to remember is that the depressive symptoms that a postpartum mama may experience may become more severe over time if left untreated.  For many women, symptoms of PPD do not go away on their own and the longer they wait to seek help the more complex their treatment may become.  Regardless of how long you have been suffering or the severity of your suffering, recovery is absolutely possible.

It is important to mention that symptoms of depression can start to appear during pregnancy.  Feelings of sadness, irritability, questioning if getting pregnant was the right thing to do,  are common feelings to the depressed woman during pregnancy.  Often times woman place feelings of guilt and shame on themselves as they feel this should be a time where they are excited and joyous and feel something is wrong with them if they do not feel this way.  You do not have a character flaw, you have an illness just like any other illness.  And this illness can be completely managed with special attention, care and treatment. 

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression May include:

Hopelessness, helplessness, poor concentration, irritability, anger, anxiety, crying, feelings of inadequacy, loss of interest, poor energy, poor sleep, poor appetite, impairment of daily functioning, scary thoughts, and suicidal thoughts. 

Perinatal Anxiety Disorder

Worry can tend to be a normal part of life with a new baby at home.  However, just like most things in life, excessive worry is an indication that something is wrong. Perinatal anxiety can be compared to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in that it is marked by excessive worry that affects a woman's ability to function daily and causes her great distress. 

Women who have an anxiety disorder find themselves worrying more times than not.  Although, worry comes with the job of being a parent, worrying to this degree is not a "normal" part of motherhood.  The anxiety and worry that a new mom with an anxiety disorder experiences can be debilitation and can keep her from living her life and performing tasks that would otherwise seem simple, like leaving the house, having people over, going grocery shopping, bathing the baby, leaving the room while the baby is asleep as well as many of the other tasks that come along with parenting. Performing these normal, daily tasks can become overwhelming to the mama with an anxiety disorder.  Just like with depression, symptoms of an anxiety disorder can occur during the start of pregnancy as well. Help is here no matter if you are pregnant or have recently had a baby.

Common Symptoms of Perinatal Anxiety:

Racing thoughts, Constant uncontrollable worries, frequent feelings that something bad is going to happen, social anxiety, feeling tense, irritability, shakiness, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, restlessness, racing heart, and upset stomach. 

Perinatal Obsessive compulsive disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for the postpartum woman often revolves around fears of harm coming to baby.  Perinatal OCD is primarily marked by scary, intrusive thoughts,which are obsessive in nature.  Scary thoughts may occur with out the presence of an actual OCD diagnosis.  Compulsive behavior does not always have to be present with perinatal OCD but when it is present it most consists of ritualistic behaviors that the new mom thinks will help protect baby from the harm that she feels could come from the intrusive thoughts that she is having.  Many women who experience these type of intrusive thoughts suffer in silence due to fear of judgement, fear they are "going crazy" or fear that their  child will be taken away.  

Some examples of common compulsions seen in perinatal OCD are throwing out or hiding any sharp objects, avoiding changing diapers due to fear of sexually abusing the baby, avoiding caring for child and allowing others to provide the child's care due to fear of causing harm to baby, as well as repeatedly checking on baby as they sleep.

Perinatal OCD is anxiety driven and is NOT psychosis.  Women who experience this are often terrified by the scary nature of their thoughts and are very concerned about these thoughts which create an immense amount of distress and guilt. These thoughts are not a representation on your abilities as a mother.  You are not your thoughts.  Right now your mind is on overload and it is taking control in a way that feels horrifying but the good news is that you can learn to take control back and fight against these thoughts until they are completely eliminated.  Perinatal OCD has been shown to have a 

The scary/intrusive thoughts vary from mother to mother.  Some common examples of scary thoughts can range from causing intentional harm to baby like throwing, stabbing or suffocating the infant to sexual in nature fear they will sexually abuse their child.  Thoughts can also be of passive, unintentional harm coming to your baby like accidentally harming them due to negligence, accidental poisoning or fear of causing child to serious diagnosis of chronic or terminal illness. 

So many women who go through this are filled with shame and feelings of failure and inadequacy as it relates to their scary thoughts and their ability to be a mother.  Please, please don't continue to suffer in silence.  It can feel scary to some moms to admit or say these thoughts out loud, for fear that saying it means they will act on them.  However, the opposite is true.  Once you can start to acknowledge the thoughts, learn how to interrupt them and manage them, they will start to lose their power and control.   You deserve to stop suffering.  Reach out, let someone you trust now how you are feeling and that you are concerned and allow them to come along side you in your journey to healing.  

post TRAUMATIC stress disorder 

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in approximately 9% of women following childbirth.  This can occur when a women has experienced a real or perceived trauma.  Traumas can range from a complicated delivery, a NICU stay for the baby to the mom having a history of trauma (history of rape or sexual abuse) making the childbirth experience traumatic for them. 

A woman who is experiencing PTSD following the birth of their child may experience flashbacks, nightmares, re-experience their past trauma experiences, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping,   easily startled, anxiety, and feeling a sense of detachment. 

PTSD following childbirth is completely treatable.  If you are seeing some of the signs that you may be experiencing post traumatic stress disorder after childbirth please don't wait to get help.  Relief is yours the sooner you get reach out. 

postpartum psychosis

Postpartum psychosis is a rare complication from childbirth occurring in 1-2 women out of 1000.  Postpartum psychosis typically involves a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms usually within 2-12 weeks after delivery.  A woman who is experiencing postpartum psychosis is experiencing a break from reality when symptoms are present.  There may be times where she is lucid but the symptoms will likely return without proper treatment.  

Like all of the disorders discussed above this one is also temporary and treatable.  There is also nothing that you have done to deserve this.  Postpartum psychosis is, however, an emergent condition and requires immediate treatment.  Mom or baby may be at risk of harm due to delusions, impaired judgment, and/or hallucinations that are often present during psychotic episodes. Most women who experience postpartum psychosis do not harm themselves or baby however the risk is there and immediate assessment is necessary to monitor and treat mom and get her back to health and back to caring for herself and her baby safely. 

If you have experienced postpartum psychosis or any other mental illness it is important for you to know that this does not represent you and your abilities as a mother.  It does not define you and it does not make you any less of a mother than someone who has not experienced it.  This is an illness that happened to you, you did not do anything to cause this.  Just like people who get a cancer diagnosis did not choose or cause their illness, you did not either.  Also, know that with proper professional treatment you can make a complete recovery and go on to live a healthy, thriving life as a mama.