Everyone talks about postpartum depression beware these other mental health issues after childbirth
New baby, new emotions.Over 80% of new mothers experience the “baby blues” shortly after childbirth due to changing hormones, exhaustion and stress.The “baby blues” are characterized by rapid mood shifts — from joy to tears — but they usually resolve within two weeks and don’t impair daily function.Postpartum depression and anxiety are more intense, longer-lasting and more disruptive to a woman’s ability to care for herself or her newborn.Some women go through melancholic depression, where they feel disengaged, suffer from low appetite or yearn to sleep a lot.
More often, women experience anxious depression.They worry about their baby and their mothering skills, which can interfere with the bliss that accompanies the early days and months of motherhood.Postpartum depression and anxiety aren’t the only mental health conditions a new mother may face in the year following delivery.In fact, maternal mental health conditions are the leading cause of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity in the US.Here are the key warning signs for these conditions — and three major myths about the postpartum period.It can be difficult to make the major transition to parenthood and adapt to the overwhelming demands of a newborn.Breastfeeding can be particularly challenging.
A woman might experience sore or cracked nipples from poor latching or stress about low milk supply while feeling pressure to produce enough to feed her baby.Adjustment disorder, which is partway between “baby blues” and postpartum depression, is all about managing expectations.Symptoms often resolve with social support and better sleep.Sometimes we might recommend that women not exclusively breastfeed because they need to get rest.
I strongly believe that sleep is a critical part of recovery.Women diagnosed with OCD before pregnancy have the highest risk of postpartum OCD.We also see women who develop OCD specifically in that period.OCD manifests as intrusive thoughts and often compu...