Often called the "postpartum blues", between 45 and 80% of women go through fairly mild depressive symptoms shortly after the baby's birth. Crying, feelings of sadness and irritability towards the partner and hostility towards the baby, fatigue, anxiety and sleeplessness tend to peak on the fifth day following the birth of the infant, then diminish over the next two weeks. Usually, no treatment except a sedative to help a mother sleep if she's exhausted is all that's prescribed - that plus support and reassurance that the new mother will do fine.

Less commonly, these "blues" take the form of a severe depression. Affecting between 10 to 15% of new mothers, true postpartum depression can bring with it uncontrolled and unpredictable tearfulness, feelings of guilt, sadness and undirected anger. Women whose mothers experienced postpartum depression are more likely to develop the disorder themselves after childbirth.

If a woman has had a previous episode of postpartum depression, different studies assess the risk of having a further episode at 64 to 100%. Relatives who have had a depressive illness, as well as personal history of previous depression, similarly increase the likelihood that a woman will develop postpartum depression.

A difficult relationship between the woman and her mother or her partner represent additional stressors which may increase the tendency of women to develop postpartum depression as well. Treatment usually involves antidepressant medication, as well as supportive counselling or psychotherapy for the new mother along with her partner. The partner should also be encouraged to help with the baby's feeding at night and other routines so that the mother is less overwhelmed by the demands of being a new mother.

The earlier the condition is recognized, and the sooner the mother is treated, the shorter the postpartum course of depression.

Do I have postpartum depression?

Feeling overwhelmed by new responsibilities that come with mothering is normal. Feeling that life is no longer worth living is not. If a woman feels unbearably depressed for longer than two weeks after giving birth, she should speak frankly with her doctor about her feelings. Proper care can make a big difference in how well a woman copes with the new baby and re-shape the experience of mothering into a more positive one.

Symptoms of postpartum depression:   

• Feeling that you might harm yourself or take your own life
• Feeling that you might harm your baby
• Persistent sleep difficulties over two to three weeks or feeling continually exhausted
• Feeling that you do not enjoy your baby
• Feeling continually sad and hopeless

Is my anxiety normal or not?

Most women are subject to life's anxious and stressful moments, and being pregnant does not make these moments entirely vanish. While anxieties surrounding the pregnancy and coming birth are normal, anxious feelings that are so powerful that they disrupt normal daily functioning are not, and women should seek help. Here are early signs of anxiety that pregnant women should discuss with their doctor. Keep in mind that being pregnant can cause many of the same symptoms, and women need to assess the level of impairment their symptoms are causing rather than the fact that the following symptoms may be present.   

• Unexplained episodes of dizziness, with numbness or tingling in toes, feet or hands
• An unusually rapid heartbeat, with skipped beats at times
• A fear of impending doom or that you might die or go crazy
• Extreme diarrhea
• Feeling nauseated or as if you were going to vomit
• Feeling that you are

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