The “baby blues” are common after childbirth. They are a brief period of feeling moody, frustrated, anxious, overwhelmed and exhausted that can occur a few days after giving birth and may last for hours or up to a couple weeks. If two weeks have passed since your baby was born and you are continuing to feel anxious, worried and not yourself, it is probably not the baby blues and you should call your doctor to check in. At this point, if you are unable to sleep even when your baby is sleeping, this is not caused by the baby blues. If you are having repetitive thoughts that feel oppressive or intrusive, you may be experiencing a chemical imbalance brought on by hormone shifts and other factors.

You may worry a lot about your baby, or worry that your spouse or partner may abandon you, even when reassured this is not the case. You may not feel like being around people and may worry that your feelings about your baby aren’t like other new mothers’ feelings. If this is what is going on, you need to know there is help available to you. You are not alone in this. The first thing to do is let your spouse or loved ones know the extent of your anxiety and schedule a medical exam. Call and set up an appointment with your therapist if you have one already or seek out a therapist who has experience with postpartum issues.

Right now it is unknown exactly why some postpartum women get mood disorders … (continued)
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