You’ve just had a baby, but instead of feeling the happiness and joy you anticipated, you are feeling sad and hopeless; you are not alone. According to Dr. Marco Martinez, an obstetrician/gynecologist with the Elmhurst Clinic and on staff at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, up to 80 percent of mothers have these types of feelings after delivery.
“These feelings are completely normal,” he says. “What is important to note is the severity of the feelings and how long they last.”
Depression is more than just feeling “blue” or “down in the dumps” for a few days, it is a serious illness. With depression, sad, anxious or “empty” feelings don’t go away and interfere with day-to-day life and routines. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 13 percent of pregnant women and new mothers experience true depression. Read On…
Dr. Shosh says:
“Baby Blues is normal, affecting around 80% of new mothers. Postpartum depression is more severe and is quite common (around 15%), but the author indicated it’s “normal” and it is not. Depressed new moms need reassurance that they are indeed not alone, but no matter how tempting, professionals should not tell them that it’s normal – it is a disorder that is very treatable. In addition, if a new mom is feeling hopeless, she probably isn’t experiencing the Baby Blues – she likely has postpartum depression. The article mentioned hopelessness as a symptom of the Blues, which I don’t believe it is. Teariness, vulnerability, a feeling of dependency, yes – hopelessness, no. That’s a sign of depression and she needs to be evaluated.”
Tags: baby, blues, depression, postpartum, ppd
