When a baby is born, it can trigger a lot of emotions in the mother. These emotions can vary from joy and excitement to fear and anxiety as well. Depression is something that one might not relate with pregnancy often but it can actually happen.
There are many women who suffer from ‘baby blues’ and they can include mood swings, difficulty in sleeping and there are definitely some signs of postpartum anxiety. They mainly begin after 2 to 3 days after delivery and can last for a couple of weeks.
There are some experiences that might last longer though and these anxiety may sometime turn into depression and it can develop after the child birth.
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Here are a few anxiety symptoms that one can face during this time:
- Mood swings
- Sadness
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Irritability
- Crying
- Appetite problems
- Reduced concentration
- Trouble sleeping
These are the few very common anxiety symptoms that one can suffer from. But if these signs turn to be very intense and stay for a longer period, then it might turn into depression and it can also affect the ability of an individual to take care of the baby. These symptoms mainly develop within the first few weeks after delivery or some symptoms may also occur during the last phase of pregnancy. It can last either for a few months or even a year.
Postpartum depression signs and symptoms are:
- Depressed mood and severe mood swings
- Difficulty in bonding with the baby
- Excessive crying
- Loss of appetite or eating much more than usual
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
- Inability to sleep or insomnia or too much of sleep
- Intense irritability and anger
- Reduced interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
- Hopelessness
- Restlessness
- Diminished ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions
- Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy
- Fear of not being a good mother
- Severe anxiety and panic attacks
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
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There is also a thing called postpartum psychosis which is a very rare condition and it develops within the first week of the baby delivery. In this case the symptoms are:
- Obsessive thoughts about the baby
- Confusion and disorientation
- Excessive energy and agitation
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Paranoia
- Attempts to harm yourself or your baby
Postpartum psychosis can also lead to life threatening thoughts and that is why it needs immediate treatments.
Dealing with postpartum anxiety may not sound easier always and that is why; one needs to see a doctor. There should be no embarrassment in admitting the fact that one is suffering from the above mentioned symptoms and getting help from the doctors can deal with the situation very well. So, if the signs do not fade out after 2 weeks or so one needs some medical attention so that one can prevent it from getting worse.
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