how to tell if it's the baby blues Archives

While it might seem like a problem that only happens to a select few new parents, experts estimate that postpartum depression is an underreported issue. Roughly 10% of women experience postpartum depression after delivering a newborn. Some studies even suggest that these numbers could be as high as one in every seven new mothers.

Although postpartum depression tends to resolve itself within 3 to 6 months, different factors can influence the duration of a postpartum depressive episode.

By some estimates, almost half of all people with postpartum depression are not properly diagnosed by a healthcare provider. While a reported 80% of mothers with postpartum depression experience a full recovery, swift diagnosis and treatment tend to improve the likelihood of this outcome.

We know that for parents especially, maintaining good mental health is an important part of preventing a variety of problems including substance use.

Here are the differences between postpartum depression and baby blues for new parents and their loved ones.

Postpartum Depression or The Baby Blues — *This is a guest post and all opinions are those of the author. This post may also contain affiliate and/or paid links. Rest assured that we only work with companies and individuals that we trust. While some of those companies and individuals may work in the medical field, this post is not intended to be a substitution for medical advice. Always speak to your doctor if you have concerns about your mental or physical health.

What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is a diagnosable mental health condition characterized by depressed mood, difficulty bonding, and social isolation. Postpartum depression can also manifest as feelings of emptiness or intense sadness that last longer than two weeks after birth. It primarily affects new mothers, although new fathers can also experience postpartum depressive episodes.

People from different cultural backgrounds and with different personality types may feel as though postpartum depression symptoms are laziness or poor parenting. But, this isn’t true. Postpartum depression is considered a complication of giving birth in the same way that perineal tearing can be. It shouldn’t be seen as a source of shame or a sign of failure.

Usually, postpartum depression symptoms start within the first few weeks following birth. But sometimes these symptoms can surface earlier. They can also come on later – up to a year after the baby is born.

Although postpartum depression can happen to any parent, certain risk factors put some new moms at greater risk. When a new mom or dad has a personal or family history of a mood disorder, lack of support from loved ones, depression during pregnancy, or pregnancy, they may be at higher risk of developing postpartum depression. But regardless of whether someone seems at high risk for postpartum depression, it’s important to keep an eye out for symptoms in the weeks following birth.

What are the symptoms of postpartum depression?

Although postpartum depression usually comes with a pervasive feeling of emptiness and sadness, there are other key symptoms for providers and parents to keep on their radar.

Symptoms of postpartum depression include depressed mood, extreme mood swings, challenges with bonding with the new baby, withdrawal from loved ones, changes in appetite, excessive crying, changes in sleep patterns, extreme fatigue or energy depletion, irritability, and hopelessness. Sometimes, postpartum depression can also look like fears of not being a good mother or struggling to care for the new baby or oneself.

Especially concerning symptoms of postpartum depression include thoughts of harming yourself or your baby and thoughts of death or suicide. While these thoughts do not make you a bad mother or a bad person, they warrant immediate medical attention.

How is postpartum depression treated?

Postpartum depression can be treated with a combination of therapy and medication. In severe cases that resist medication or therapy, ultra-brief electroconvulsive shock treatments may be a viable treatment option.

Reaching out for help from family and friends, trying to get regular sleep, eating a healthy diet, and taking time for self-care are also important parts of recovering from postpartum depression.

What is the Baby Blues?

The “baby blues” refers to a period right after giving birth where a lower than normal mood is common. Typically, after four or five days of postpartum, the baby blues kick in. Those dealing with the baby blues postpartum are far from alone – research suggests that up to 80% of new moms experience some level of “baby blues.”

What are the symptoms of baby blues?

While this period of sadness and anxiety is different for everyone, there are some common symptoms of the baby blues. Most parents experiencing the baby blues report symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, crying spells, changes in appetite, sleep difficulties, irritability, mood swings, trouble concentrating, and feeling overwhelmed by parenting tasks.

While bringing home a bundle of joy seems like it should be a happy time, there are several reasons why the baby blues hit most new moms. Although we can’t say for sure why they strike some parents, research suggests that hormonal imbalances, hefty adjustments to lifestyle, daily routine disruptions, and leftover emotions from childbirth might be to blame.

How can you tell the difference?

Although it might be challenging to tell the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression, certain clues might help differentiate the two conditions.

The biggest difference is that postpartum depression tends to be more severe, persistent, and disruptive to daily life than regular baby blues. The intensity and duration of symptoms of postpartum depression make it more of a health concern than baby blues.

If a new mom finds herself experiencing the symptoms listed above for more than a couple of weeks or they feel unmanageable in intensity, it’s important to seek help from a trusted provider. Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming the baby are both indicators that a new mom is likely suffering from postpartum depression. In these cases, urgent medical care is important for the health and safety of mom and baby.

The good news is that with treatment, support, and regular communication with healthcare providers, most parents dealing with postpartum depression recover. If you find that a case of the baby blues is lasting more than a couple of weeks or taking a turn for the worse, don’t be afraid to reach out to your doctor and see how they can help.

Author Bio

Patrick Bailey is a professional writer, mainly in the fields of mental health, and wellness. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the mental health world and enjoys writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.

With the baby blues occurring in nearly 80% of postpartum mothers, it can be hard to tell whether or not they are a cause for worry.

The term “baby blues” is used to describe the flood of feelings a mother experiences shortly after giving birth. Between the sudden change in hormone levels, the extreme lack of sleep, trauma of childbirth and everything else that happens in the first few weeks postpartum, it’s understandable for a new mother to feel overwhelmed.

The trouble with the baby blues is that they can often mask symptoms of a more serious condition such as postpartum depression or anxiety. While it’s common to brush symptoms off as normal motherhood, it’s also important to recognize the signs of something more dangerous before it gets out of control.

Here are some warning signs that it might be more than just the baby blues.

6 Warning Signs That it's More Than The Baby Blues — *This post contains affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional and nothing in this post should be taken as medical advice. I am simply a mother who has been there and lived to tell the tale.

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1. You cannot sleep, even when you get a chance to.

Insomnia is a common symptom for women with postpartum depression and anxiety but it’s extremely hard to diagnose in a new mother. The demands of caring for a newborn who only sleeps in short spurts can make it hard to track exactly how much sleep you’re getting. And not only does sleep deprivation cause a whole slew of other symptoms, but it often gets blamed for everything that’s wrong.

One way to check and see if you’re suffering from insomnia is to track your sleep patterns. Just as you track how long your newborn is napping for, jot down when you went to bed and what time you woke up – or use a sleep tracker or an app.

If you have the luxury of additional help, then try to sleep while they take care of the baby. Most sleep deprived mothers would jump at this opportunity to get in as much sleep as possible. But if you’re not able to sleep even when you get the chance to, then it could be a warning sign that something’s just not right.

2. You’re turned off by the idea of food.

Perhaps there were certain foods that you didn’t like during pregnancy, which can be especially true if you suffered from morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum. But now that you’ve given birth and your hormones are starting to regulate, you should be able to resume your normal diet.

If you feel no desire to eat, or if your favorite meals now turn you off completely then it could be a warning sign of postpartum depression. Bear in mind that this can also have the opposite effect, depending on your personality type. While some people cannot eat when they feel sad or depressed, others find solace in over-eating.

If your eating habits have drastically changed, then the first sign would be a change in weight, but this is yet another thing that’s hard to diagnose in a postpartum mother. So pay close attention to your feelings about food and take note of whether or not they have changed.

3. You mostly feel nothing, as opposed to feeling everything.

Motherhood is overwhelming, especially in those first few months. The baby blues are like experiencing a torrent of emotions all at once and being unable to contain them. You may cry simply because you need some form of release for all the intense feelings happening inside of you.

But if you find yourself crying out of despair, it could be a different story. Postpartum depression feels less like actual sadness, and more like hopelessness, loneliness and emptiness. Instead of feeling “depressed” you may feel no emotions at all.

When you feel “blue” take a moment to ask yourself why you feel this way. If it’s because you’re overwhelmed and tired and still adjusting to all the changes – then carry on. But if it’s because you feel like a terrible mother and don’t feel worthy enough to care for your own child, then it’s worth looking into. It can help to write your thoughts down in a journal or workbook to keep track of them.

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4. You get angry very easily.

Anger and rage are not common symptoms of the baby blues. They are more common in cases of untreated postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. If you find yourself suddenly snapping at your spouse, kids or others around you, then it’s a pretty big warning sign that something else might be wrong.

Untreated postpartum depression can build up, resulting in feelings of worthlessness and resentment. When we hate ourselves, we sometimes take it out on others. Like all mental illnesses, postpartum depression tries to alienate us from others and anger is one of the quickest ways to do this.

Postpartum anxiety can manifest as anger and rage as well. It’s a way that our body loses control and can be a very dangerous symptom, especially when there are children around.

5. You feel less inclined to socialize.

Like many other symptoms of maternal mental illness, being socially withdrawn is often a missed symptom. It’s perfectly normal for a new mother to feel protective of her child and want to keep them isolated for the first few weeks or months. A lot of parents also want time to spend bonding with their new baby in private, so when a new mother asks for no visitors for the first few weeks, there’s never much cause for concern.

But once the initial “babymoon” stage is over and mom and baby have settled into a good routine, then it’s expected that they will begin to venture out into the world. It might be scary, especially for a first time mother, to try to manage a fussy newborn in public but many mothers will feel happy to finally get out and show off their new baby.

If you find yourself locked up in the house and afraid to step outside with baby, or if you’re constantly avoiding anyone coming by to visit, then that could be a warning sign of something more than just normal new mom fears.

Everything You Need to Know About Postpartum Anxiety — .

6. You’ve been feeling this way for longer than 3 months.

The first three months postpartum are often referred to as the 4th trimester because it’s the period of time during which your body heals after pregnancy and childbirth. On average, the baby blues affects mothers within the first few weeks postpartum, so this means it could be longer for some. But mothers with the baby blues normally feel much more like themselves by the third month.

What to do if you think you have postpartum depression — .

Many women with postpartum depression or anxiety aren’t diagnosed until several months after giving birth. But it’s not because they weren’t experiencing signs and symptoms, its usually because they were in denial. Some will say that, in hindsight, they had all the symptoms from day one and just never knew it.

While it’s normally best to seek help sooner rather than later, it’s also never too late to get checked out. Most maternal mental illness assessments end after the first 6 weeks, despite the fact that they can show up long after that.

If you are at all concerned that your common case of the baby blues is something more than that, speak to your doctor or call Postpartum Support International for advice and information.

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Postpartum Depression Or The Baby Blues: How Do You Tell The Difference?