What Are the "Baby Blues"?

The "Baby Blues" are a normal, common, and temporary experience, affecting up to 80% of new mothers. It is not a mental illness but a brief adjustment period.

Symptoms

The primary symptoms include:

• Feeling down or sad
• Tearfulness or weepiness
• Irritability and impatience
• Feeling overwhelmed and stressed
  

Causes

This is not a sign of weakness. It is a direct result of:

• Hormonal Crash: The massive and rapid drop in estrogen and progesterone levels after childbirth.
• Sleep Deprivation: The immediate and intense lack of sleep.
• New Parenting Role and Stress: The overwhelming new responsibility of caring for a newborn.‍

Keys to Remember

The "Baby Blues" are mild and short-lived. They typically begin 2-3 days after delivery, peak around day 5, and resolve completely on their own within 10 to 14 days. While a mother may feel weepy, she can still function, care for her baby, and feel moments of joy.

When to be Concerned: Signs of a Postpartum Mood Disorder

A new mom or her partner should be concerned and seek help from a doctor if mood symptoms are more severe or last longer than two weeks.

Key warning signs include:

1. Duration and Severity of Mood:

• The feelings of sadness, anxiety, or overwhelm do not go away after two weeks.
• The feelings are intense and pervasive. It is not just "feeling blue" but a persistent state of sadness, hopelessness, emptiness, or overwhelming guilt.
• Feeling worthless or like a "bad mother."
• Difficulty taking pleasure in anything, including your new baby (this is called anhedonia).

2. Inability to Function:

• Trouble sleeping, even when the baby is sleeping (insomnia).
• Sleeping too much and difficulty getting out of bed.
• Significant changes in appetite (eating far more or far less than usual).
• Feeling "in a fog," unable to concentrate, or have trouble making simple decisions.

3. Anxiety and Intrusive Thoughts:

• Feeling constant, overwhelming worry that "something terrible is going to happen."
• Experiencing panic attacks (racing heart, shortness of breath, flushed and sweaty).
• Having scary, repetitive, and unwanted "intrusive thoughts" or mental images, often related to harm coming to the baby.

4. Thoughts of Self-Harm:

• This is an emergency. Any thoughts of ending your own life, or a feeling that your family would be "better off without you," are a critical sign to seek help immediately.
  

Here are a few tried and true tips for new moms to help prevent and address postpartum depression/anxiety or to feel better if Baby Blues hits:

• Prioritize sleep: Sleep when the baby sleeps, especially in the early days postpartum so you can grab rest when possible. Chores can get done by other people or can wait. Also, talk to you partner about taking sleep shifts, so that you can rest while they care for the baby, and vice versa.
• Tap into your support network: People love to help a new mother, so say YES when people ask you if they can help. You can ask for food, cleaning, or someone to hold the baby while you shower or rest.
• Get outside: Getting fresh air and sunshine is one of the best ways to feel better, move your body gently, and engage with the world around you, outside of the home.

But Remember–Help is Available and You Can Feel Better!

The above self-help tips are important, but you may need to also seek professional help.

Postpartum mental health disorders are common, treatable medical conditions—they are not your fault. Seeking help is the most important step you can take for yourself and your baby.

At BRIA, we offer the mental healthcare services that you need to feel better. Whether you need talk therapy, couples therapy or a more in-depth mental health assessment for medications that are safe and effective, BRIA can help you navigate this postpartum journey.