Postpartum Depression: How It’s Different from the Baby Blues

But that doesn’t mean that the baby blues aren’t as real as postpartum depression. But understanding how the underlying emotions are connected to postpartum depression and the baby blues can lead to much better mental health outcomes for everybody in the family. The baby blues are common – 80% women experience postpartum blues, usually corresponding to changes in hormone levels during milk production. The baby blues are not postpartum depression – although they may have similar symptoms, the baby blues usually fade after two to five days, though can last up to two weeks. “While postpartum depression can start at any time during postpartum, and even during pregnancy, the key differences are duration (with postpartum depression symptoms occurring for at least two weeks) and, for the most part, “baby blues” symptoms do not contain thoughts about death or suicide, or bizarre thoughts, like you would see as part of postpartum psychosis.” Postpartum depression also manifests as loss of enjoyment, isolation, and a sense of detachment or disinterest in the baby. However, this is still a serious sign that she could be depressed, and needs help.” This self-recrimination make it complicated, because often these reactions, or these thoughts of harming self or the child, are extremely upsetting to the people who experience them – so upsetting they don’t talk about it. “In the case of psychosis, the danger is that having thoughts about harming the baby or themselves is not upsetting,” Clancy cautions. “In the moment, it makes sense to them, and the research shows they are often altruistic- that they believe they are helping the baby or saving their family from harm. They can often have a religious component, but not always.” Experiencing these kinds of thoughts doesn’t necessarily mean postpartum psychosis, for both moms and dads – who also undergo postpartum hormone shifts and suffer from postpartum depression. That doesn’t mean that parents need to manage it alone.

• Mayra Rodriguez
• Posted on September 12, 2018
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