There are a lot of different feelings that childbirth can trigger in a mother, including joy, anxiety and fear. Nonetheless you could be facing something you never thought about– postpartum depression symptoms. Although you think that this can’t happen to you, it is more common than you might think.
Postpartum blues
When thinking about the symptoms of postpartum depression you should know that postpartum blues are also called baby blues. It is natural to experience tears, irritability, insomnia and mood swings during the first few days after childbirth. Nonetheless these signs should disappear after two weeks.
In case you experience the symptoms of postpartum depression keep in mind that you aren’t the only one. Even more, over one half of women experience them to a certain extent. If this is the case, you should make sure to tell your doctor about your symptoms at the first check-up you have.
Postpartum depression symptoms
Such symptoms can be experienced after the baby blues. You may feel the same as before or the symptoms could get worse. It is interesting to know that the symptoms of this could be experienced months after childbirth. It is possible for the feelings to peak 3-4 months after you gave birth.
It is said that you have the condition in case you experience 4-5 of the symptoms of postpartum depression. These include hopelessness, tearfulness, severe anxiety, a feeling of emptiness, lack of pleasure that should come with the regular activities or a change in appetite and weight.
When it comes to the postpartum depression symptoms in the majority of the cases the weight and the appetite drop, but it is also possible for them to increase. Also you could suffer from sleep problems even if the little one is asleep. A change in walking and talking could occur too.
The symptoms of postpartum depression could mean that you become restless or sluggish. Some other signs involve lack of energy, fatigue, guilt or a feeling of worthlessness, even if there is no reason for it, lack of concentration and the inability to make decisions.
In extreme cases the postpartum depression symptoms could also include thoughts regarding death or suicide. Also sometimes women could be thinking about harming the baby. Usually such thoughts are fearful, but women don’t really mean to harm their child. Nonetheless early assessment of the problem is important.
Postpartum psychosis
In case you are interested in the symptoms of postpartum depression, you should know that this is a condition that usually affects women who had it before or those who have bipolar disorder. The symptoms usually appear during the first three weeks after childbirth.
In this case the postpartum depression symptoms involve a feeling of being removed from the people around you or the baby, problems with sleeping, even when the baby isn’t awake, confusion, and disorganization that increases the chances of hurting someone or yourself or even the little one.
Some other symptoms of postpartum depression also include drastic mood changes and strange behavior, restlessness, agitation, hallucinations of different kinds and also delusional thinking that has no real basis. This is a condition that needs the urgent help of a specialized doctor.
In case you suffer from the symptoms and you don’t get help in time, you could end up hurting someone. For sure this is something that you don’t want, so in case you feel like something’s not right, just call someone you know you can trust.
The best way to get rid of the postpartum depression symptoms is to see a doctor and tell him or her everything that you have been going through.
