Postpartum depression (PPD) may be more than just depression or sadness, and it isn’t the same for every woman.
PPD symptoms can include any of the following:
Emotional
Feeling sad, hopeless, empty, or overwhelmed
I was very, very overwhelmed. I begged my mom to take me back to the hospital because I had this desperate need to be taken care of.
—Keli
Crying more often than usual or for no apparent reason
Things were really bad when I spent most of the day just crying.
—Michelle
Feeling worried or overly anxious
I've always had a lot of anxiety, but it really started to ramp up. I started to have panic attacks at night where I'd start worrying about the baby.
—Laura
Moodiness, restlessness, or irritability
I remember that a lot of things—the littlest things would set me off and make me very angry.
—Brianne
Anger or rage
I took out a lot of that anger on my husband and my oldest daughter, and anything that they did—the smallest thing—I would just scream at them, just scream at the top of my lungs at them.
—Brianne
Persistent doubt about your ability to care for your baby
I just felt inadequate. When I would hold my son and try to console him, he would just cry. And I felt like everyone else could take care of him but me.
—Chelsie
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
I began thinking of hurting and harming myself very early on.
—Alexis
Physical
Physical aches and pains
I had full-body aches, and it wasn't flu symptoms or anything like that. I just felt like I'd worked out for 72 hours straight.
—Cassandra
Changes in appetite
I ate very little because I just felt drained.
—Alexis
Lack of sleep or oversleeping
I first started experiencing symptoms of PPD when I wasn't getting enough sleep. They say sleep when your child is sleeping. So when my son is sleeping, I—my mind was just still running, thinking about things.
—Cassandra
Difficulty concentrating
An inability to focus and really complete thoughts—so just my normal day-to-day functions, I wasn't able to do anymore.
—Chelsie
Behavior
Loss of interest in things that are usually enjoyable
I would just lay around and wouldn't do too much. I was still getting up and feeding my child and changing her and doing what I know as a mom you're supposed to do... but I didn't have any joy doing any of that at all.
—Brianne
Avoiding friends and family
I did not want my grandmother coming over. I didn't want my husband's mom and his family to come over. Why do they want to come over? Don't they know we just had a baby?
—Alexis
Having trouble bonding or forming an al attachment with your baby
And then just my everyday tasks with Nora—there was no bond. We didn't bond. I didn't want to hold her. I didn't want to—I didn't care where she was. I let anybody else hold her. There was no connection, from day one, with her. So it was a completely different experience.
—Lindsey
Doctor Discussion Guide
If you experience any changes in your mood, talk to your doctor.
Your symptom checklist
While your planner may be filled with checklists, this one can make a difference. Track how you’re feeling during and after pregnancy.
It’s not all balloons and baby books
During this busy time, you’re doing everything from choosing a car seat and reading baby books to preparing a home for a new baby, so feeling restless, overly anxious, or overwhelmed about what’s to come may be expected.
But these can also be signs of PPD and are sometimes mistaken for the experiences of new motherhood. That’s why learning the signs and symptoms of PPD should be an important part of your baby preparation.
