Learn about Postpartum depression symptoms from Consumer Reports Health.

Postpartum depression

What are the symptoms of postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression feels a lot like the depression you can get at other times of your life. The only difference is how it affects your feelings about being a mother and your ability to care for your baby.

You are most likely to get postpartum depression in the first three months after your baby is born. But you can get it at any time during the first year.

Source:
Wisner KL, Parry BL, Piontek CM.
Clinical Practice. Postpartum depression.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 347: 194-199.

If you have postpartum depression, you may:

Source:
Wisner KL, Parry BL, Piontek CM.
Clinical Practice. Postpartum depression.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 347: 194-199.

Feel low and anxious
Lose interest in your life and stop enjoying it
Have changes in your appetite (for example, not feeling hungry and losing weight)
Feel agitated
Have a hard time sleeping, even when your baby sleeps
Feel "slowed down"
Feel tired and not have any energy
Feel worthless or guilty
Find if hard to concentrate or make decisions
Think about death or killing yourself.

These are the symptoms of bad depression you can get at any time.

Postpartum depression may also make you feel:

Source:
Wood AF, Thomas SP, Droppleman PG, et al.
The downward spiral of postpartum depression.
MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 1997; 22: 308-316.

Source:
Kennedy HP, Beck CT, Driscoll JW.
A light in the fog: caring for women with postpartum depression.
Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. 2002; 47: 318-330.

Overwhelmed by your baby's needs
Unable to cope or care for your baby properly
Trapped and wanting to get out
Angry at yourself and others, including your baby
Alone and unable to tell anybody how you feel
Afraid or panicky
Despairing and hopeless
Like you are losing your mind
Like you might harm your baby.

The feelings you get with postpartum depression are different from those of a condition called the baby blues. The baby blues are changes in mood that many women get about four or five days after their baby is born. Baby blues usually go away by the 10th day after giving birth. For more information, see The baby blues.

Another, more serious illness that a very few women get after they have a baby is called postpartum psychosis. This illness usually starts in the first two weeks after birth. These women get bad anxiety and feel upset and agitated. They may also think about harming themselves or their baby. For more information, see Postpartum psychosis.

Sources for the information on this page:

Wisner KL, Parry BL, Piontek CM.Clinical Practice. Postpartum depression.New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 347: 194-199.

Wood AF, Thomas SP, Droppleman PG, et al.The downward spiral of postpartum depression.MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 1997; 22: 308-316.

Kennedy HP, Beck CT, Driscoll JW.A light in the fog: caring for women with postpartum depression.Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. 2002; 47: 318-330.

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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