Postpartum Mental Health & Support

What Is the Postpartum Period?

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The postpartum period is the time after your baby is born. Although physical recovery is often discussed in terms of the first several weeks after birth, emotional adjustment and recovery can continue much longer.

During this time, parents may experience changes in mood as they recover from childbirth, adjust to caring for a newborn, cope with changes in sleep, and navigate the many changes that come with becoming a parent.

Mental health challenges can also begin during pregnancy or after birth, which is why paying attention to changes in your mood and well-being throughout this period is important.

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Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression?

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Feeling emotional in the first days after having a baby is very common. In fact, 50–80% of mothers experience the “baby blues.”

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The baby blues usually begin within the first few days after birth and may include:

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• Tearfulness

• Sudden changes in mood

• Irritability

• Anxiety or feeling overwhelmed

• Difficulty sleeping

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Although these feelings can be difficult, the baby blues do not usually interfere significantly with your ability to function and typically improve on their own within 1–2 weeks.

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Postpartum depression is different. It is more persistent, can interfere with daily life and caring for yourself or your baby, and may require treatment. Approximately 7–13% of mothers experience postpartum depression, depending on how and when it is measured.

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Symptoms may include:

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• Persistent sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness

• Losing interest or pleasure in things you usually enjoy

• Feeling excessively guilty or worthless

• Significant anxiety or feeling overwhelmed

• Changes in sleep or appetite beyond what might be expected with a newborn

• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

• Difficulty caring for yourself or your baby

• Thoughts of death or suicide

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Postpartum depression can last for weeks or months without treatment. Importantly, symptoms do not always begin after the baby is born—many episodes of perinatal depression begin during pregnancy.

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If symptoms last longer than two weeks, become more intense, interfere with your daily life, or you are concerned about how you are feeling, talk to a healthcare provider.

Postpartum depression is a medical condition and effective treatments are available.

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When to Seek Urgent Help

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Postpartum psychosis is rare, occurring after approximately 1 in every 500–1,000 deliveries, but it is a medical emergency. Symptoms can develop quickly and may include:

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• Hallucinations – seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not actually there

• Delusions – strongly believing things that are not true, even when there is evidence otherwise

• Severe confusion or disorganized thinking or behaviour

• Extreme changes in mood, including unusually high energy or agitation (mania) or severe depression

• Feeling disconnected from yourself or reality

• Severe difficulty sleeping or not sleeping at all

• Irritability or agitation

• Thoughts of harming yourself, your baby, or someone else

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Someone experiencing postpartum psychosis may not recognize that their thoughts or experiences are unusual or concerning.

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If you or someone you know may be experiencing symptoms of postpartum psychosis, seek emergency medical care immediately. For more information on postpartum psychosis, click here.

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Remember

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Experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy or after having a baby does not reflect your ability to be a good parent. These are recognized health conditions, and effective support and treatment are available.

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If something does not feel right, even if you are unsure whether what you are experiencing is the baby blues, depression, anxiety, or something else, talk to a healthcare provider.