Baby blues are real, and most moms experience it. All of those important hormones that carried you and baby through a healthy pregnancy — like estrogen and progesterone — severely drop after baby arrives. And, for most moms, our feelings go down with them. Baby blues looks like a huge drop in mood, uncontrollable tearfulness, and overwhelm or anxiety that happens specifically within the first 2 weeks postpartum.
- Did you know: because this is a common biological process, we can track it. You can expect baby blues to start within the first 2-3 days after giving birth, become most intense around day 5, and then subside naturally within the first 2 weeks postpartum.
Many of us have been conditioned with ideas about what postpartum depression looks like. And because of that, we often miss when something isn’t normal. And while postpartum depression is fairly common (impacting 1 in 7 new moms), that doesn’t mean it’s normal or okay to keep enduring it without support.
Postpartum depression doesn’t look the same for everyone. And it doesn’t happen at the same time for everyone either. For some moms, it is intense tearfulness, sadness and overwhelm. For others, it’s feeling totally numb and disconnected. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and try not to be too quick to minimize what you’re going through.
Too many moms are dismissed when they’re going through something really hard. Yes, postpartum is hard, but does it need to be this hard? Please be gentle and compassionate with yourself. You don’t need to suffer. You are not failing. This is not just who you are now. These are symptoms, and they’re treatable. You can recover with the right support.
- Did you know: postpartum depression isn’t just something that happens in the fourth trimester. Symptoms of postpartum depression can start and be diagnosed any time within the first year after giving birth. Take your feelings seriously even when you’re measuring your baby’s age in months rather than weeks.
This is a time where a search engine can do a lot of the leg work for you in securing the right support and resources:
- Tap into online directories for postpartum mental health providers to find one near you
- Find an online or in-person support group for new moms
- Order one of the many self-help books about postpartum depression (if you want to feel extra sure that plenty of moms go through this – some of these books are best-sellers)
A useful tip: Some mental health providers have the “PMH-C” credential, which means they are certified in perinatal mental health (mental health for pregnant and postpartum moms). Keep in mind that many providers are well-trained and able to provide help, even without this credential.
