We all know taking care of a newborn is not a walk in the park. They’re in need of constant attention, and demand love and care around the clock. Most women fret over things that they really should not worry about, but its normal, you all just want to make sure that your baby is happy and healthy. No matter how much you love your little bundle of joy, being a mom is stressful and you constantly feel like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster.

Having the baby blues is nothing out of the ordinary, you will feel weepy and exhausted like all moms do. However, if your symptoms are getting worse and they don’t go away after the first couple of weeks, then you might be suffering from postpartum depression.

Knowing the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is much more serious than having the baby blues. It’s not something you should ignore or tell yourself that it’s nothing, and that it’ll pass. Chances are that it might get worse or remain for a longer period of time, if not treated.

Distinguishing whether you have the baby blues or postpartum depression is a bit tricky, since they both share similar symptoms, including mood swings, crying episodes, insomnia, feelings of sadness and irritability.  But with postpartum depression, the symptoms are more severe and last longer. You may start having suicidal thoughts, you feel unable to take care of your newborn and sometimes it’s as bad as having thoughts of hurting your own baby.

The following are some of the red flags for postpartum depression:

• Withdrawing yourself from friends and family. Most women start to get distant and emotionally withdraw themselves from their significant other. Some also find it difficult to bond well with their baby.
• Trouble sleeping. Some women find that their anxiety can go so out of control that they find it impossible to fall asleep. It’s a popular advice given by many doctors that moms should sleep when their baby is asleep. But with postpartum depression even if your baby is sound asleep and you finally have time to get some shut eye, you just can’t.
• Negative feelings and dark thoughts. You begin to have feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt. Such feelings tend to get too overwhelming and develop into dark thoughts where you want to hurt yourself, or think of ways to commit suicide, or even want to hurt your baby. Some women find it hard to open up about such feelings as they find it embarrassing and don’t want other people to think that they’re a bad mom.
• Trouble making decisions. You constantly feel unsure of yourself to make any decisions regarding your baby. The idea of making a wrong decision or doing something you weren’t supposed to overwhelms you and making any kind of decision becomes intimidating.

If you think you are showing these signs and symptoms of postpartum depression, seek professional help immediately. There is nothing wrong with you, you are not losing your mind and neither are you a bad mother to your child. This form of depression is real and there is treatment for it. With the right treatment, you will start to feel more like yourself and you’ll start to enjoy your motherhood as well.

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