There are 3 types of Postpartum depression (PPD): Baby blues, Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis.

In this first article we will be exploring the baby blues and its symptoms.

Baby blues

About 3/4 of women suffer from what we call baby blues shortly after giving birth. The symptoms can result in emotional sensitivity, irritability, restlessness, and low mood (tearfulness). Crying for no known reason, sadness, and anxiety. These feelings occur within the first week of giving birth and usually settle down within a fortnight if not sooner. This is due to the resettling of your hormones after giving birth.

Mood episodes can have their onset either during pregnancy or postpartum. Although the estimates differ according to the period of follow-up after delivery, between 3% and 6% of women will experience the onset of a major depressive episode during pregnancy or in the weeks or months following delivery but some research deems it to be a little higher. Current diagnostics offers a detailed note on using the Major Depressive Disorder with Peripartum Onset diagnosis.

Fifty percent of “postpartum” major depressive episodes begin prior to delivery. Thus, these episodes are referred to collectively as peripartum episodes. Women with peripartum major depressive episodes often have severe anxiety and even panic attacks.

 Prospective studies have demonstrated that mood and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy, as well as the “baby blues,” increase the risk for a postpartum major depressive episode.

In the second article of this subject, I shall explore and explain the criteria for postpartum depression in greater detail.