Postpartum Depression — More Than the Baby Blues

From the moment you learn you’re pregnant, you embark on a journey that’s best described as a roller coaster ride. As you navigate the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth, and early newborn care, it’s perfectly natural for your emotions and moods to be a bit more erratic than usual. 

That said, any baby blues that persist after you give birth can turn into postpartum depression, which can cast a long shadow over what’s supposed to be a happy time in your life.

As experts in mental health, our team at Point of View Mental Health in Scottsdale, Arizona, has considerable experience helping patients with depression, including postpartum depression, which affects about one in seven women during and after pregnancy.

Here’s a look at how to tell the difference between a temporary case of the baby blues and postpartum depression.

When hormones fluctuate

One of the reasons your moods and emotions are so erratic during pregnancy and breastfeeding is that your reproductive hormone levels are also erratic.

Your estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall quite considerably during this time — they’re at their peak during pregnancy and plummet after you give birth. This extreme fluctuation can lead to mood swings and trigger conditions like postpartum depression.

In addition to your reproductive hormones, your thyroid hormone levels also change during and after pregnancy, which can impact your mental health.

Baby blues are normal

On top of fluctuating hormone levels, your life changes dramatically during pregnancy and afterward, and these changes can be overwhelming. For example, it’s not uncommon to lose sleep during early newborn care, which can wreak havoc on your mental and emotional state.

Our point here is that some degree of what we call the baby blues is perfectly normal and expected as your life adjusts to your newest addition and your hormones settle down.

When postpartum sets in

The big difference between the baby blues and postpartum depression comes down to longevity, as well as the severity of your symptoms. If you’re stuck in your baby blues for more than two weeks and your symptoms are far from mild, it’s time to consider that you’ve turned the corner into postpartum depression.

Symptoms to watch out for include:

• Extreme mood swings
• Irritability and angering quickly
• Lack of connection with your baby
• Feelings of guilt or shame
• Feeling hopeless and overwhelmed
• Crying a lot
• Changes in your sleep or eating patterns
• Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

Postpartum depression can develop during pregnancy, as well as at any time within the first year after childbirth. So, if you seem to be lingering in depression and it’s been going on for two weeks or more, it’s time to seek help.

There is help for postpartum depression

While many women eventually come out of their postpartum depression as hormones (and life) settle, there’s no reason to suffer along the way when help is available. 

We offer psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes that can help you break free from your mood disorder so you can enjoy this precious time in your life.

To give your newborn and you the best start to this new chapter, don’t hesitate to contact us for help with postpartum depression. To get the ball rolling, call our office at 520-999-9114 or connect with us online. We also offer telemedicine services throughout the state of Arizona.