“Baby Blues” or Postpartum Depression?
After a woman has a baby her body, obviously goes through many changes, but her emotions and how she feels may go through changes, as well. After I had my son I noticed that I started having feelings of sadness, mood swings, and I was crying a lot. I didn’t want to stay home by myself. At first I thought it may be just the “baby blues”, but my husband was concerned it was turning into postpartum depression. He supported me during this time by letting me express how I was feeling even though I didn’t understand why I was feeling this way. I had just given birth to the most precious baby in the whole world so why was I feeling like this. That was the most frustrating part. Even though I didn’t have the first thought of hurting my son, I found myself asking my husband what to do even though deep down if I would have been thinking clearly I knew how.
I didn’t want to be alone with my son because I was afraid something would happen, like him choking while taking his bottle. I was imagining the worst possible when I was by myself. The fear of something happening to him after working so hard to have him was overwhelming.
After doing some research I found some differences in the “baby blues” and postpartum depression. If you have the “baby blues” you will more than likely experience mood swings, sadness, anxiety, feel overwhelmed, loss of appetite, crying spells, and trouble sleeping. The “baby blues” should only last a few days or a week and you shouldn’t have to see your doctor. Postpartum depression includes the above plus a few more symptoms such as, hurting yourself or the baby, and maybe not having anything to do with your child. The symptoms of postpartum depression are more severe and they last much longer the the “baby blues”. You will need to consult your physician if you have these symptoms, especially if they last longer than a week. One note about postpartum depression is that it can affect a woman any time within the first year after giving birth. This is compared to the “baby blues” affecting a woman right after giving birth and only last for a short period of time.
