Beating the Baby Blues - Making a Postpartum Health Plan

Having a baby can feel like being on a roller coaster - there are so many emotions mixed in from feeling overjoyed to overwhelmed. It can feel like going from one emotion to the next. It is pretty common to feel happy and content one second, to feeling exhausted. Your routine, responsibilities, sleep schedule, and hormones are going through some massive changes in a short period of time. When does it cross the line from adjusting to life as a new parent to something that is not normal and requires help? What can you do to try and stack the cards in your favor so the transition to parenthood is a little bit easier?

What are signs of a postpartum mood disorder?

Postpartum mood disorders are common, especially when someone already has a history of depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. Most people will experience some sort of mood change, but if symptoms last longer than a couple of weeks or are severe, it may be a sign of a postpartum mood disorder. This not only includes postpartum depression, but also postpartum anxiety or (very rarely) postpartum psychosis. The table below explains the signs of each, and when you should get help from either your pregnancy/postpartum provider or a mental health provider:

Postpartum Depression

- Sadness that does not go away

- Irritability or anger

- Difficulty sleeping

- Not wanting to get out of bed or care for self/baby

- Change in appetite

- Feeling guilty

- Feeling worthless

- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

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Postpartum Anxiety

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- Having bad thoughts that feel like they just pop into your head (intrusive thoughts)

- Feeling panicked or unsettled

- Feeling overwhelmed by small tasks

- Feeling a sense of dread or doom

- Not trusting others to care for your baby, even your partner

- Racing thoughts

- Having panic attacks

‍Postpartum Psychosis

- Confusion

- Disorganized thoughts or behavior

- Personality changes

- Hallucinations or delusions

- Thoughts of harming self, baby, or others

***This requires IMMEDIATE medical attention***

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