What you need to know about postpartum depression
PPD vs Baby Blues
Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 15% of parents (yes, moms AND dads), and is different than the baby blues, which affects about 50-75% of parents after delivery. The baby blues typically begin 1-3 days after delivery and can last 1-2 weeks, including crying for no reason, sadness, and anxiety. Due to huge life changes and hormonal fluctuations, this can be a difficult, if expected time.
Baby Blues - lasts 1-2 weeks max, you still feel like yourself, just more tearful or more ups and downs, still able to feel joy and pleasure, sleeping and feeling rested (when the baby sleeps), no suicidal thoughts
Postpartum Depression - lasts more than 2 weeks, you do NOT feel like yourself, it’s difficult or impossible to feel joy and pleasure, you lose interest in things that you used to care about, may have suicidal thoughts or images, having trouble sleeping even when the baby is sleeping, feeling irritable all the time, feeling isolated
Risk Factors
There are known risk factors that may make PPD more likely for some parents. If you have ever had depression, anxiety, OCD, or manic episodes (or other psychiatric symptoms) in your past, there is a higher likelihood than average that you will experience those symptoms again during pregnancy and postpartum. This is because there are so many shifts during the perinatal period that stressors inevitably shoot up and that makes us more likely to experience underlying issues which may previously have been in check. For example, maybe you had depression in college and went to therapy and have successfully managed your symptoms since then - the perinatal period can open those issues up again. Other factors that may increase your likelihood to experience a PMAD include low social support, having mixed feelings about the pregnancy, pregnancy complications or medical issues, and having a baby with special needs. It’s important to state that none of the above risk factors mean that you have failed or that there is something wrong with you. Knowing they are risk factors means that you can be more aware and look out for symptoms before they become overwhelming.
Postpartum psychosis
An extremely severe postpartum illness is postpartum psychosis, which is more rare, occurring in roughly 1 in 1000 births. When this happens, the parent may experience a rapid onset of confusion, insomnia, agitation, delusions and paranoia. This is very different than postpartum depression and is NOT typical of PPD. Postpartum psychosis requires immediate attention and usually includes hospitalization, therapy and medication.
PPD is very treatable
New parents who are experiencing PPD may worry that they are bad parents or that having PPD means they are not fit, however this is not the case. PPD is highly treatable and with support which may come from therapy, family, medication, and other resources available.