Dear Counselor Mom,
I had my baby 8 weeks ago and still feel down in the dumps. I cry over the smallest of things. I don’t even feel like getting up to take a shower. I don’t enjoy doing anything either. It’s not so much the lack of sleep but the fact I don’t care about doing anything fun. Could this be postpartum depression even though I had the baby 2 months ago?
Melissa
Postpartum depression affects 10-20 percent of women after delivery. It can occur up to a year after delivery. Immediately after delivery, most women feel “hormonal”, so during this time it is quite normal to experience a variety of feelings. However, if these baby blue feelings don’t go away weeks later, you may be experiencing postpartum depression. Common symptoms of postpartum depression are:
- Anxiety
- Crying
- No appetite
- Hard to sleep
- Panic attacks
Postpartum depression is thought to be caused by a variety of hormonal, environmental, biochemical, and psychosocial influences. If you are having some of these symptoms most of the time, you need to see your doctor. Consult with your obgyn and express what is going on. You could also consult with your psychiatric/psychologist/counselor if you have one you are regularly seeing. To read more about postpartum depression, click here.
