Most mom's get a little case of the baby blues when they have a child. It is a MAJOR life event and a MAJOR change on your body! Your hormones are all out of control, you arent sleeping, you just went through a process that took your body 9 months to prepare for! So what kinds of signs are normal? Here is a list:
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Crying
- Decreased concentration
- Trouble sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Intense irritability and anger
- Overwhelming fatigue
- Loss of interest in sex
- Lack of joy in life
- Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy
- Severe mood swings
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
The media went through a phase making PPD the "fad" illness for a while, and we can all recall a story of a Mom doing something unspeakable and blaming PPD on it. I feel like the media does the medical field a HUGE disservice by doing this. It takes what is a very real struggle for women and puts a stigma on it. It is important if you are a spouse of a woman who recently had a baby that you also watch for these signs. If a woman is experiencing PPD she will likely not feel strong enough to seek help and its important you are strong enough for her!
It is also important for women to be their own advocates! If you feel like there is something wrong, dont stop looking and asking! I have called my Dr and the specialist I saw multiple times and every time even though I may not like the answer, I have NEVER been made to feel I was bothering them and I have never been treated like I was making anything up! For more information on Postpartum Depression check out this great article by Mayo Clinic!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546
Symptoms were retrieved from the above website.