Baby Blues And Depression

No matter the form or what you call it, many moms feel down in the dumps in the time following the birth of a child. But you know what? The baby blues and postnatal depression are two very separate things.

Postnatal depression is a mental illness just like normal depression. 10 to 15 percent of all women develop some form of post-natal depression lasting more than two weeks and more than half of these women go on to develop severe depression. In these cases, treatment is considered necessary or the condition could last for months. In some cases the depression doesn't show itself until a couple of months after the birth, leaving a mom to wonder what in the world is going on.

So should you start to worry? Not yet because there will most likely be a normal period of time where you have the mood swings and this is where the baby blues come in. You may want to talk to your doctor though if you are in a state of acute confusion, fluctuating moods, disordered behaviour and thinking or any psychotic conditions such as hallucinations or delusions.

These symptoms are why postnatal depression is a totally different animal than the baby blues. The baby blues are normal, it happens to more than half of new moms. It can last for a couple of days or even a couple of months. This is to be expected though because of the physical and mental stress of the big event. The crashing of many emotions would make anyone feel out of sorts. Feelings of insecurity, vulnerability or anxiousness are normal. Having a baby is a huge deal!

So the crying, the up and down ride of emotions and all those other "nasties" are normal. They should pass in a couple of days to weeks as the bodies hormones get back in the groove and you get a chance to rest. If you do experience any of the more serious symptoms though, it never hurts to ask your doctor what's going on and to see if you may need some help.