Postpartum depression is more common then you may think, impacting approximately 1 in 7 mothers these days. The onset of symptoms often begins in the first three weeks following the baby’s birth. Being tired, overwhelmed, or exhausted is a typical response for a new mom but check out some of the warning signs below to see if it’s time to take your baby blues more seriously.
- Sadness and hopelessness that anything will ever get better begin to be common thoughts.
- Your baby blues don’t get better after about 2-3 weeks after the baby is born. It’s normal to have a dip in your mood for a couple weeks but it should begin to lift around week 3.
- You lose all interest in things you used to enjoy.
- You have trouble making decisions and are finding that even the smallest of choice feels overwhelming.
- Guilt and shame are common thoughts.
- You are having thoughts of wanting to hurt yourself or wanting to die.
- You are withdrawing or saying no to friends or family coming over that usually would be a huge support to you
If your identity with more than half of these symptoms and they have persisted for more than 3 weeks, contact your physician to let them know and to discuss next steps. Having a baby is hard work so don’t forget to monitor your own health and well-being in the process.
