Postpartum depression refers to depression that happens after childbirth. It is a common disorder after pregnancy, affecting 1 in 9 new parents source.
It’s common for people to experience “baby blues,” or feelings of sadness or emptiness after childbirth. For many people, these symptoms go away in a couple of days.
But if you feel sad, hopeless, or empty for longer than 2 weeks post-childbirth, you may have postpartum depression.
Symptoms of postpartum depression can range from mild to severe and can include trusted source:
feeling restless or moody
feeling sad, hopeless, or overwhelmed
having thoughts of hurting the baby or yourself
not having an interest in the baby, feeling disconnected, or as if your baby is someone else’s
having no energy or motivation
eating too little or too much
sleeping too little or too much
having trouble focusing
having memory problems
feeling worthless, guilty, or like a bad parent
withdrawing from activities you once enjoyed
withdrawing from friends and family
having headaches, aches, or stomach issues that don’t go away
feeling empty, unconnected, or as though you might not love or care for the baby
Postpartum depression is thought to be triggered by trusted source the dramatic hormonal changes that take place after pregnancy.
Bipolar depression occurs in certain types of bipolar disorder when a person experiences a depressive episode.
Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes distinct changes in mood, energy, concentration, and the ability to carry out your day-to-day tasks.
There are three types of bipolar disorder, all of which include periods known as manic episodes, where you feel extremely “up,” elated, or energized, and depressive episodes where you feel “down,” sad, or hopeless.
If you have bipolar disorder, it can be hard to recognize the harmful effects of each “mood episode.”
People having a depressive episode
feel very sad, hopeless, or empty
feel slowed down or restless
have trouble falling asleep, wake up too early, or sleep too much
have an increased appetite and weight gain
talk very slowly, forget things, or feel like they have nothing to say
have trouble concentrating or making decisions
feel unable to do basic tasks
have little interest in activities
have a decreased or absent sex drive
have thoughts of death or suicide
Symptoms during a depressive episode last every day for most of the day and can last for several days or weeks.
If bipolar disorder is treated, many will experience fewer and less severe symptoms of depression, if they experience depressive episodes
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