Welcoming a new baby into the world is a really big deal. There’s so much to do and your hormones can really be amazingly out of normal ranges. But are you dealing with regular baby blues or is it something more severe, like postpartum depression? Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN wants to help you to spot the difference.
Both Bring Mood Swings
Both baby blues and postpartum depression can cause mood swings that can be pretty severe. You might feel incredibly happy and excited about being a new mom one moment and be sad and scared of messing up a few moments later. With baby blues, you’re more inclined to be worried that you aren’t up for such a big job rather than seeing everything you do as being worthless.
Both Bring Exhaustion
Taking care of a new baby is exhausting. With both baby blues and postpartum depression, you’re likely to feel exhausted, have trouble remembering to eat, and maybe having issues taking care of yourself. It’s common particularly with baby blues to feel anxious and irritable, usually because of the exhaustion you’re experiencing.
PPD Includes Some Bigger Feelings
While there are similarities, postpartum depression tends to include some really big feelings, including hopelessness and you might feel like you just cannot stop crying. These emotions can be incredibly isolating and leave you feeling as if you’re alone all of the time with no one to turn to.
You May Not Feel as if You’re Bonding with Your Baby
Many women battling postpartum depression describe feeling as if they’re just not able to bond with their baby. These feelings can arise for so many reasons. Fear is a huge contributing factor, but if you don’t have a solid support system that can cause issues with bonding, too. Anxiety about being a parent can get even more out of control the longer it goes on.
You’re Having Panic Attacks
You may start to find that your anxiety gets so bad as a result of postpartum depression that you’re having panic attacks regularly. These are terrifying and they are also exhausting. You’re already going through so much, and panic attacks can be so exhausting that they leave you unable to function.
You don’t have to go through this alone. If you suspect you might be dealing with postpartum depression, contact us at Eagle’s Landing OB/GYN in Stockbridge, GA. Getting help as early as possible can make all of the difference for your entire family.
