Baby blues vs. Postpartum Depression: What’s the difference?
Written by Kristin Tallackson, M.A., LPC
You did it, momma. You carried this little life for 9 months, went to countless appointments, and labored for hours (or not if you’re one of the lucky ones) and now you are holding a little one in your arms. Many people will give you all the advice about how to care for baby and what to do once they are here, but often don’t tell you how to care for yourself once baby is here.
The moment that little one arrives, your hold world becomes about them and it is easy for you to forget to care for yourself. Sometimes, it’s not that you don’t want to, but truly feel like you are unable to. Taking care of a little one is beautifully demanding. I wanted to address some normal feelings you may experience after giving birth and provide you with some information on when to reach out for help if you experience symptoms of postpartum depression.
Guilt, shame & overwhelm are common when you have a baby
When you give birth, you may expect to be nothing but happy when you see that little one. It shocks many mothers when they begin to feel a lull in their emotions. When you take into consideration the sleepless nights, increased responsibilities, and lack of time to care for yourself, it is completely normal for you to feel a myriad of emotions. You may experience guilt or shame when thinking about wanting a break from motherhood. I want to normalize these emotions and destigmatize reaching out for help when you feel you need it. There are many trained therapists that can help you during this beautiful, yet complicated, transition. Here are some signs and symptoms of baby blues versus postpartum depression and some clues that you may want to reach out for support.
Baby Blues
According to March of Dimes (2020), 4 in 5 moms experience baby blues after giving birth. Signs of baby blues include:
Starts after birth and may last up to but no longer than 2 weeks
Periods of sadness that may be accompanied by strong urges to cry
Feelings of moodiness that include feelings grouchy or cranky
Difficulty sleeping- going to sleep or staying asleep
Difficulty eating
Feeling overwhelmed with the task of parenting and feeling as though you are not doing a good enough job
Postpartum Depression (PPD)
According to March of Dimes (2020), PPD is the most common medical complication for women after giving birth. In fact, the CDC reported that 1 in 8 women, nationally, report struggling with PPD and that in some states it can be as high as 1 in 5 women.
Signs of Postpartum Depression in New Moms
You may be struggling with PPD if you have five or more of the following symptoms that last more than 2 weeks (marchofdimes.org, 2020):
Feeling depressed most of the day every day
Feeling shame, guilt or like a failure
Feeling panicked or scared a lot of the time
Having severe mood swings
Having little interest in things you normally like to do
Feeling tired all the time
Eating a lot more or a lot less than is normal for you
Gaining or losing weight
Having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Having trouble concentrating or making decisions
Having trouble bonding with your baby
Thinking about hurting yourself or your baby
Thinking about suicide
Postpartum Depression is Highly Treatable
Parenthood is a poetic paradox of beautiful and difficult times. PPD can make it hard to take care of your baby and yourself. It’s important to reach out to a trained professional (OBGYN or counselor) as soon as you feel like you may be experiencing PPD. If you feel like you are going to hurt yourself or your baby, please call 911. A gentle reminder, PPD is not your fault, you didn’t do anything wrong to cause it, and it does not make you a “bad mom”. You are doing your best.
Begin Postpartum Depression Treatment in Houston, TX:
You may have heard that parenting “takes a village.” The truth is, most parents need support of some kind. If you or a family member is looking for mental health support and live in the Houston, TX area, Heights Family Therapy would love to help. To begin counseling, follow these steps:
Contact our therapy clinic and make an appointment for a free consultation
Meet with one of our compassionate therapists,
Begin postpartum and perinatal counseling and find joy in bringing a new life into the world.
Additionally, we offer online therapy in Texas to meet your mental health needs when you can’t make it to our therapy clinic. Moms may find online counseling an easier way to attend treatment for postpartum depression and Kristin can see clients anywhere in the state of Texas. To learn more, please contact our counseling office.