Postpartum Depression and New Mom Anxiety

As a mom, I remember the newborn days and I’m going to be honest with you…it’s all a blur. I wanted to enjoy every second and soak it all in, but I was physically and emotionally drained in a way that I had never been before.

As a nurse, I understand the hormonal shifts, exhaustion, and physiological changes during the postpartum period. You’re a mix of emotions, your body is not your own, you’re sleep deprived, and you're left wondering how on earth life will ever feel normal again.

And then you look at your baby’s face and the worries melt away. Or do they?

For a lot of us, postpartum blues may kick in within the first few days after childbirth or slowly creep in. While “baby blues” may come and go or linger, did you know the feelings may or may not include sadness? Although feeling down may occur along with tears, it’s important to recognize that it’s also common to feel cranky, overwhelmed, and even angry.

A common misconception is that a new mom must be hysterically crying all day to be struggling with postpartum issues and that’s just not the case. Many times, the feelings may cycle between worry, fear, apprehension, or anger. While these emotions may resolve on their own, without treatment, what if baby blues don’t just go away?

When is it time to worry that you may be experiencing postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety? How do you know when it’s time to ask for help? My first answer is this: if you’re ever unsure if what you’re feeling is “normal”, or you’re ever concerned, reach out to your doctor, midwife, spouse, sister, best friend, or trusted partner. Speak to someone who will listen, take you seriously, and guide you to appropriate resources to help you manage and address your concerns.

Below is a list of symptoms- for both postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA). You may not experience every symptom on the list, or you may be experiencing something not mentioned on this list. But if any of these symptoms describe how you’re feeling, please reach out for help. You are not alone, and there is absolutely nothing to feel guilty or ashamed about.

Postpartum Depression:

• Feeling of being overwhelmed- beyond just ‘the usual.’ You may wonder if you can handle being a mother at all, or if you should’ve had a baby to begin with.
• You don’t feel that you have connected to, or are bonding with your baby.
• You feel guilty because you feel like you should be doing better, feeling happier, and that your baby deserves better. You wonder if your baby can tell how awful you feel.
• You may feel confused, scared, angry, impatient, or resentful.
• You may feel absolutely nothing – just empty.
• You may feel so sad you wonder if you’ll ever stop crying.
• You feel hopeless, are unable to focus. You may feel like you’re a failure. You may be afraid to reach out for help because you fear people will judge you.
• You may be feeling like in theory you’re “doing everything right” and were hoping you’d “snap out of this,” but you haven’t.
• You may have thoughts of running away, harming yourself, or your baby.