Feeling Down After Birth? It Might Be More Than Baby Blues

Mar 12

The "New Mom Experience" isn't always sunshine and rainbows. While postpartum depression is gaining awareness, many moms struggle with lesser-known mood disorders like anxiety, OCD, and even psychosis. Recognizing these conditions and seeking help is crucial for both mom and baby's well-being.

Feeling Overwhelmed Isn't Always "Normal"

Understanding Postpartum Anxiety

Anyone who's ever held a newborn knows it's overwhelming! But when that overwhelm becomes constant worry, physical symptoms, and avoidance behaviors, it might be postpartum anxiety.

Listen to your body and mind:

Physical: Racing heart, sweating, fatigue, trouble sleeping.
Mental: Racing thoughts, intrusive worries, difficulty concentrating.
Behavioral: Avoiding certain situations, excessive checking, seeking constant reassurance.

Remember, you're not alone! Postpartum anxiety is common (affecting 15% of new moms) and treatable through therapy, relaxation techniques, and sometimes medication.

Beyond Worries

Recognizing Postpartum OCD

Closely linked to anxiety, postpartum OCD involves intrusive thoughts and images that can be scary. These thoughts are often disturbing but rarely translate into actions, and sharing them won't hurt you or your baby.

It's important to know:

Intrusive thoughts: Unwanted thoughts about harming the baby or yourself (these are very unlikely to become reality).
Compulsions: Repetitive behaviors like excessive cleaning, checking, or counting to reduce anxiety.
Fear of being alone with the baby.

The good news? Postpartum OCD is treatable with medication and therapy, offering significant relief.

A Rare But Serious Condition

Postpartum Psychosis

While rare (affecting 0.1-0.2% of new moms), postpartum psychosis requires immediate medical attention. It's often triggered by a combination of genetics, hormonal changes, and sleep deprivation.

Warning signs to look out for:

Delusions: False beliefs disconnected from reality.
Hallucinations: Seeing or hearing things that aren't there.
Paranoia: Feeling suspicious or distrustful of others.
Mania: Excessive energy, hyperactivity, racing thoughts.
Mood swings: Rapid changes in mood, irritability, depression.

Postpartum psychosis requires immediate intervention for the safety of both mom and baby. Don't hesitate to seek professional help.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a new mom, know that you are not alone. Many women experience similar feelings of anxiety and depression in the postpartum period. Fortunately, help is available. At our practice, we provide targeted psychotherapy, to support mothers through this challenging time.

We understand that every woman’s experience with motherhood is unique, so we offer a variety of services to meet your specific needs. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help – it could make all the difference for you and your baby.