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Are You Experiencing the Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression?

April 5, 2022

Mom holding baby with doctor
Not feeling like yourself after delivering your baby? Moms experience waves of emotions and hormone fluctuations after giving birth, but sometimes it’s more than just the baby blues. Here’s how to tell if you may be experiencing postpartum depression.

The Baby Blues

How can something so magical as having a new baby bring you down? Blame it on hormones. After you give birth, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop suddenly, causing mood swings and feelings of sadness, often referred to as the baby blues. Eighty percent of new parents have the baby blues, so you are not alone.1

The baby blues might leave you feeling angry, sad, cranky, anxious, lonely, overwhelmed, or incompetent as a parent. You might also have difficulty sleeping, eating, or concentrating.

These blues generally start two to three days after baby is born and can last up to two weeks. They usually go away on their own, without treatment. But sometimes, the blues are more than just the blues.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression, or PPD, is a medical condition that produces feelings of sadness or worry. It is more serious than the baby blues and is the most common post-pregnancy complication for new moms, affecting up to 1 in 7 women.2 Some possible causes of PPD could include a family history of depression, fluctuating hormone levels, or low levels of thyroid hormones.

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

PPD often starts within one to three weeks of having a baby. If left undiagnosed and untreated, PPD can make it difficult to take care of yourself and your new baby. Here is what to look for:

Changes in emotions:

  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feeling ashamed
  • Feeling guilty
  • Feeling anxious and panicked
  • Feeling angry and irritable

Changes in lifestyle:

  • Isolating from family and friends
  • Eating too much or too little
  • Sleeping too much or not enough
  • Losing interest in activities you used to participate in
  • Experiencing overwhelming fatigue
  • Having difficulty making decisions or thinking clearly

Changes in self-perception

  • Having difficulty bonding with baby
  • Feeling inadequate as a mother
  • Thinking about harming your baby
  • Thinking about harming yourself

How to Treat Postpartum Depression

It’s important to remember this: postpartum depression is not your fault and does not reflect on you as a person or a mother. And thankfully, PPD is treatable.

If you are experiencing any of these signs, consult a healthcare provider, whether it’s your general practitioner, obstetrician, or mental health provider. They can provide a diagnosis by asking you a series of questions.

Treatment could be a combination of counseling, medications such as antidepressants or estrogen, a physical activity plan, and a healthy diet.

The sooner you see a provider, the sooner you can treat PPD and enjoy motherhood.

 

Prenate® Vitamin Family
This post is brought to you by the Prenate® Vitamin Family, a line of prescription prenatal supplements designed to enhance preconception, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition in women. Talk with your doctor about how taking a daily prescription prenatal or postnatal vitamin could help support a healthy pregnancy and postpartum wellness.

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WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

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