Is It The ‘Baby Blues’ or Something More?

A friend texted me the other morning that a woman she went to high school with was suffering from postpartum depression and hanged herself. The baby was five weeks old. Extremely upsetting. Tragic. Untimely. Before I was a parent, I absorbed these stories from a social work perspective. Not enough resources, support groups, coping mechanisms. Now, as a new mom, there is a part of me that understands the pain, the confusion, the insane hormones. For most women, pregnancy is a joyful time. Strangers are nicer, food is plentiful and you spend your spare time picking out furniture and baby clothes. For the few days after your birth, whether you choose to birth in a hospital, birthing center or at home, you are cared for. Doctors, nurses and midwives are checking in on your well-being. Then it stops. Abruptly. Prior to giving birth you may have been a lawyer, a marketing executive, a salesperson, a teacher. Once maternity leave begins, your sole job in life (without any training) is to make sure the fetus-like creature who just came out of your body survives. Of course new moms feel stress. Add to that crazy hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, a crying baby, a childbirth recovery, a new body and possible family conflict. Baby Center says “Up to 80 percent of new mothers experience the baby blues, an emotional reaction that begins a few days to a week after delivery and generally lasts no longer than two weeks. If you have the blues, you may be weepy, anxious, and unable to s...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Depression Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Parenting Psychology Women's Issues anxiety Bipolar Disorder Brooklyn Childbirth executive grief Katherine Stone Mother New Mom Obstetrics OCD Postpartum postpar Source Type: blogs