Postpartum Mental Health

Postpartum Mental Health

Catching pregnancy and giving birth is a wonderful experience. However, the latter comes with a wide range of emotions. From anxiety and frustrationto sadness and confusion, these feelings wreak havoc on the mother’s mental health. That is not all; some new moms may further experience postpartum, popularly known as baby blues. Baby blues presents various symptoms, including anxiety, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and crying. These symptoms set in 3 to 5 days after childbirth and last for a few weeks.

New moms are also susceptible to postpartum depression. Unlike normal depression, postpartum depression presents more intense and lasting symptoms, ranging from hopelessness to restlessness to excessive crying. Rarely, new moms may also develop postpartum depression. The condition mostly strikes in the first month after childbirth. Its symptoms include paranoia, hallucinations and delusions, difficulty sleeping, confusion, and excessive energy and agitation.

When to See Doctor

You may want to see a doctor when you experience signs and symptoms of depression that;

  • get more intense and long-lasting
  • affect your ability to complete your daily tasks
  • presence thoughts that may endanger your life or the baby’s
Ieva Kubiliute
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Ieva Kubiliute is a psychologist and a sex and relationships advisor and a freelance writer. She's also a consultant to several health and wellness brands. While Ieva specialises in covering wellness topics ranging from fitness and nutrition, to mental wellbeing, sex and relationships and health conditions, she has written across a diverse range of lifestyle topics, including beauty and travel. Career highlights so far include: luxury spa-hopping in Spain and joining an £18k-a-year London gym. Someone’s got to do it! When she’s not typing away at her desk—or interviewing experts and case studies, Ieva winds down with yoga, a good movie and great skincare (affordable of course, there’s little she doesn’t know about budget beauty). Things that bring her endless joy: digital detoxes, oat milk lattes and long country walks (and sometimes jogs).

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