Areas of Practice · Postpartum Depression/Anxiety
Women are told that the birth of a baby should be the happiest time in their lives. But for some women the few weeks and months after having a baby can be very difficult. Up to 20% of postpartum women experience depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or disturbing thoughts (including thoughts of harm to the baby, or thoughts of suicide or running away). Many suffer alone and in silence, worried they might be going crazy or that others will think they are not good mothers.
Most people, including medical professionals, don’t recognize the difference between the baby blues and postpartum depression. Baby blues is the weepiness, fatigue, and irritability (that feels a lot like PMS) caused by hormonal fluctuations triggered by the delivery of the placenta. Up to 80% of women experience the baby blues in the first two weeks after birth. The essential distinguishing feature between the baby blues and postpartum depression is that the baby blues will go away within 14 days and requires no treatment.
Most women don’t realize that postpartum depression is an umbrella term encompassing many different types of symptoms. It’s really confusing to women when they experience anxiety symptoms (rather than or in addition to depression symptoms), ranging from mild anxiety, to a fear of being left alone with the baby, or full-blown panic attacks. These symptoms often feel like they come out of nowhere, since 70% of women with postpartum depression have no previous history of depression or anxiety.
The good news is that postpartum depression is very treatable. It responds quickly to medication, therapy, or both. Participation in support groups focusing on postpartum depression can also be an essential component to recovery.
When to seek help
- When symptoms of depression or anxiety interfere with normal functioning, fulfilling responsibilities, caring for your infant, or when symptoms last longer than 8 weeks postpartum
- When you aren’t able to identify or ask for the things you need, can’t keep your expectations realistic, or feel critical toward yourself
- When you are concerned about your attachment to or your relationship with your baby
- When your childhood experiences negatively impact your parenting
- When you and your partner aren’t able to resolve or cope with the changes in your relationship
- When your plan for making changes does not improve your feelings and situation after 2 – 4 weeks
- Whenever you want a clearer understanding of your situation, extra support for your feelings, or experienced guidance through this life transition
Seek help immediately if:
- You feel speeded up
- You have little need for sleep
- You are very distractible and irritable
- You are easily susceptible to anger or disappointment
- Your speech is fast and pressured
- You experience extreme distractibility or extreme confusion
- You experience poor judgment
- You experience delusions and/or hallucinations, or disorientation
- You experience sudden irrational changes in mood
- You act impulsively
- You have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality
- You think about harming yourself or your baby