Postpartum Depression Is Real

You’ve just had a baby. You expected to be basking in new mom bliss. You expected to be celebrating the arrival of your little one with your friends and family. But instead of celebrating, you feel like crying. You were prepared for joy and excitement, not exhaustion, anxiety, and weepiness.

You may not have been expecting it, but mild depression and mood swings are common in new mothers—so common, in fact, that it has its own name: the baby blues.

The majority of new mothers experience at least some symptoms of the baby blues, including moodiness, sadness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, appetite changes, concentration problems. Symptoms of the baby blues typically show up within a few days of giving birth and last from several days to a couple of weeks.

The baby blues are a normal part of new motherhood—probably caused by the hormonal changes that occur following birth. If you have them, there is no cause for undue worry. You’ll feel better once your hormones level out. Aside from the support of your loved ones and plenty of rest, no treatment is necessary. 

Signs and symptoms of postpartum depression:

• Appetite and sleep disturbances
• Uncontrollable crying, increased irritability
• Intrusive and disturbing thoughts
• lake of interest, decreased concentration
• Excessive worry or anxiety
• Feelings of failure, guilt or hopelessness
• Discomfort around baby or lack of feelings toward baby

• Remember that PPD is a real illness. She is not going crazy; she is simply coping with tremendous changes in her life and her body. PPD is very treatable with an excellent prognosis.
• Your support is vital in the recovery process. She may think that she will never get through this. Research has shown that a woman's depression will improve markedly with the consistent support of a significant other.
• The single most important thing you can do is to be with her. To simply be with her.
• You cannot fix this. You can however make a substantial difference in the time and quality of her recovery. You may hold the key to her initial decision to get treatment.
• The longer you pretend that the PPD will go away by itself, the longer her recovery will take.
• The more you expect of her, the more difficult her recovery will be.

If you or a loved one is in need of support, or even if you are unsure if support is needed - contact Tree of Hope Foundation: