4 Common Mental Health Conditions After Having a Baby

​|There is no mystery that many changes can occur for parents and a family after the introduction of a new baby into the household. These changes can range from new financial responsibilities, learning how to soothe and care for a new family member, as well as juggling getting enough sleep and rest in between changes and feedings.

But what about the mental health changes that can happen to a mother after having a baby? It may seem strange for a mother to go through emotional changes after experiencing such a powerful experience of bringing a life into the world, but it's actually quite a common occurrence for a mother to experience mental health difficulties that range from low to quite severe after bringing a baby home. 

According to the World Health Organization:

"Worldwide about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression."

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​Since this topic is important to talk more about so that parents and loved ones alike can have more of an understanding and resources to have help if difficult changes do occur after having a baby, I am delighted to share a guest article on this subject that covers all of these points and more.

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About the Guest Author

Danielle Joy Scott sold all her stuff, quit her 9-5, and moved her family to another state in the pursuit of happiness. Her goal is to inspire people just like you to LOVE their life! The licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, blogger and wanna-be chef lives in Phoenix Arizona with her guitar obsessed husband and their adorable, exhausting toddler. Check out her blog at thespicytherapist.com for more tips on how to take your life to the next level! 

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4 Common Mental Health
​Conditions After Having a Baby

​When you experience a massive change in your life like motherhood, it can be extremely hard to have a sense of what is "normal" or "not normal" as far as your feelings and emotions are concerned. You have no frame of reference. ALL of this is new and it ALL feels completely bonkers.

Even if you have other children, adding another to the mix is still a massive adjustment.  That gorgeous baby is a GAME CHANGER. No doubt about it. If you feel like your world just got flipped upside down and you are having a hard time adjusting; I would say that what your feeling is completely appropriate and normal!

But when do those feelings cross the line? At what point are your feelings of sadness or anxiety actually something to be concerned about? When is it time to seek professional help?

Hi, I’m Danielle, I am a Marriage and Family Therapist and I'm also a mom to a toddler. I am hoping to shine some light on this very confusing and often emotional time in a mothers life. 

In this post we will look at four common mental health conditions that a mother could experience after having a baby:

              1. Baby Blues
              2. Postpartum Depression
              3. Postpartum Anxiety 
              4. Stress Response Syndrome 

We will examine more closely what is "normal" and "not normal" and when to seek professional help. If you think you may be experiencing any of the conditions, I have linked extra reading and resources at the end of each section to help you!

1. Baby Blues

The "Baby Blues is a period of time, typically the first 2 weeks after you have had the baby, where you may cry often, have mood swings, and feel intensely vulnerable. During this time your body and your hormones are working overtime; that combined with feeling overwhelmed and sleep deprivation is why you feel like a basket-case.

The baby blues can be a really scary experience, especially when you start to wonder if these feelings will ever go away. Luckily the baby blues usually passes after your hormones stable out. 
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If you are still within 2-4 weeks of having your baby, your body is still going through lots of changes, your feelings may not be cause for concern quite yet. If you are still able to care for your child and if you are not having any scary homicidal or suicidal thoughts then you most likely do not need to seek professional help at this point as it might just be the baby blues. 

If you are having a difficult time meeting the needs of your child and/or if you are having scary suicidal or homicidal thoughts, seek professional help right away. Make a doctors appointment as soon as possible and enlist the help of supportive friends and family members to help you as you get help. There is no shame in getting help!    
My personal experience with the Baby Blues:
I can remember two baby blues moments that really scared me in that I really didn’t feel like “myself”. The first moment was when I was having a hard time getting my baby to latch without a nipple shield (BTW, never happened, I went the whole time (6 months) breastfeeding with that stupid shield). After a few minutes of not being able to get her to latch, I broke down sobbing. Not normal crying, violent gasping for air, shaking, ugly crying.

The second moment was when my mom left for the airport to catch her flight home. I tried my best to hold back the tears as she walked out the door, I didn’t want her to see me crying or feel bad for leaving. I was profoundly sad and felt extremely vulnerable in that moment.

Luckily in both instances, I was able to tell myself that this was probably just the baby blues and/or a lack of sleep. I told myself and my husband, “I am not okay right now, but I will be.”

If you think you may have the Baby Blues, do your best to remind yourself (and concerned loved ones) that your hormones working overtime and what you are feeling is temporary. Do your best to take care of yourself and get as much sleep as you can!

If what you are feeling lasts longer than 2-4 weeks you could have something called Postpartum Depression or Stress Response Syndrome.

2. Postpartum Depression

​Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a serious condition that may look the typical "Baby Blues" at first but the symptoms are more severe. Both "Baby Blues" and Postpartum Depression share similar symptoms such as crying a lot, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.

Some of the key differences are the intensity and duration of the feelings, those with PPD experience extremely intense emotions and these emotions last longer than 2-4 weeks (which is the time frame when the baby blues should be dissipating).

With PPD your feelings may interfere with your ability to care for yourself and your child. You may not feel like you are bonding with your baby. You may even have thoughts of killing or harming yourself or your child. PPD is an extremely serious condition that is very common. The good news is it is also very treatable.

​If you think you may have PPD, please know you are not alone and it is nothing to be ashamed of. You are NOT a bad mom! Make an appointment with your doctor right away and get some help. Ask trusted family/friends to help you as you get some help. 

Resources:

• Want to know more about the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression? Here’s are some great posts that go into a little more detail: The Difference Between Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression from Fit Pregnancy.
• Postpartum Depression and The Baby Blues from Help Guide.

3. Postpartum Anxiety

Postpartum Anxiety is thought to be more common than Postpartum Depression; one study suggests its 3x as likely.

Many women experiencing Postpartum Anxiety don't really know what is going on. These women have heard about depression after having a baby; they were probably even asked direct questions about feeling sad by their medical providers on their follow up visits. I know I was.

But anxiety isn't a part of the conversation even though it is incredibly difficult to deal with and it's completely debilitating for some.

What are some of the symptoms of Postpartum Anxiety?

• Obsessive intense worry; often about something bad happening to the baby.
• Insomnia; even though you are exhausted you just can't sleep.
• Restlessness; you can't relax or settle down.
• Feeling a sense of dread or "doom" like something bad is going to happen.
• Feelings of irritation and anger.

These are just a few of the symptoms; if you want more information I highly recommend you check out Postpartum Progress, the resource I have below!

Living in a state of constant fear and worry is no way to live. If you are struggling with Postpartum Anxiety please make an appointment with your doctor to get some help.

Resource:

• Postpartum Progress is a really awesome site that was created by mothers that have experienced a Postpartum condition. I love that they use non-clinical language to describe symptoms (or as they call it “plain mama English”).

4. Stress Response Syndrome

​I would guess that after having their first child at least half of all women would meet the criteria for something called Stress Response Syndrome, prior to 2013 this was called "Adjustment Disorder".

Stress Response Syndrome is a short-term condition that occurs when someone has great difficulty coping with or adjusting to, a particular source of stress, such as a major life change, loss, or event.

Typical identified stressors include:

• Disruptions of close relationships not due to bereavement (ie. divorce, a break-up, stress/strain on a marriage due to a new baby, etc.)
• Events that disrupt general adaptation (such as an emergency or a disaster)
• Occupational failures or losses (such as losing your job or perhaps feeling like a failure at your new job as mommy).

Stress Response Syndrome is sometimes informally referred to as "Situational Depression" as it has many symptoms similar to depression but it doesn't qualify as "full blown" Major Depressive Disorder due to its short-term nature.

Below are characteristic symptoms of Stress Response Syndrome (note, the new mother typically feels all of these things):

• Low mood
• Sadness
• Worry
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Poor concentration
• Anger, disruptive behavior
• Other typical manifestations - Loss of self-esteem, hopelessness, feeling trapped, feeling like they have no good options, and feeling isolated or cut off from others.

The good news is that people experiencing Stress Response Syndrome rarely experience symptoms past 6 months (or when the stressor is no longer present).

If symptoms last a longer than 6 months then there might be something else going on and you should consider seeking further assessment.

In the case of the new mother, I personally think the "adjustment period" could last longer than 6 months. Please keep in mind, I hate giving time frames on these types of things.

The truth is the duration of how long you experience something like this honestly varies wildly depending on a many different factors (your current mental health, your history, your support system, your current coping mechanisms etc.).

Self-Care
I think it is really important to note that deficits in sleep, nutrition, and exercise wreak havoc on one's brain and subsequently one's ability to manage emotions.

Unfortunately, most mothers with an infant are sleep deprived, many are not eating the healthiest diet and most also aren't getting enough exercise. No mama shame here, I’m just saying that’s how motherhood is for most people, especially in the beginning. 

The “new mama deprivation” is normal, it’s the “nature of the beast” so to speak. That being said, it also should not be underestimated when it comes to your feelings and emotions.  

Even though it is genuinely hard to find the time for self-care in those first few months, it really benefits you to make a big effort. Try your best, be proud of what you’ve done, and don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t get “as much” done! Be patient and know that your schedule will open up and become more manageable as your baby gets older.

If you are interested in learning more about Self-Care check out my post: The Truth About Self-Care: What It Really Is, Why You Need It, & How To Get It and be sure to get your FREE Self-Care Planner.

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MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE VAULT

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Check your email for instructions on how to access the Mental Health Resource Vault. :)

Additional Resources:

• Depression versus Sadness: Understanding the Difference
• The Anatomy of a Great Self-Care Routine​

References: who.int

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