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Understanding Baby Blues and Post Natal Depression
The ”baby blues” is a mild depression that many women experience soon after their babies are born, usually within the first two weeks after delivery and lasting for only a few weeks. You may have the baby blues if you:
- Cry often, and not always for a
reason you can understand - Feel tired
- Have difficulty sleeping
- Have trouble concentrating
- Often feel irritable or angry,
sometimes for no reason - Experience changes in
your normal appetite
They may last from several days to a week or more, but they almost always go away by themselves. If possible talk to your Health Visitor and ask for support from your family and friends.
Postnatal depression
Postnatal depression, which also affects many mothers (and some fathers), is a more serious form of depression than “the blues” It usually starts anytime following the 3rd week after delivery up to several months later. Any depression that lasts beyond 2 to 3 weeks could be postnatal depression. You may have postnatal depression if you:
- Are experiencing anxiety or doubt,
confusion, sadness or fear - Have difficulty bonding with your child
- Feel very alone and vulnerable
- Are completely overwhelmed by
the experience of parenthood - Feel that there is something truly
wrong with your abilities as a mother - Have trouble producing breast milk
- Experience headaches, bowel
problems or insomnia - Distance yourself from your
family and friends.
You are not alone in feeling this way, one in five women experience postnatal depression. Your GP and Health Visitor will be there to support you during this difficult time. Family and friends will also want to support you. The earlier postnatal depression is recognised the easier it can be to recover. Parents with postnatal depression have also found Lifestart to be a vital source of support.
For more information and support visit www.careforthefamily.org.uk/supportnet and click on postnatal depression.
