I have been wondering if I’ve been suffering from postpartum depression.

Hello Eleanor,

It is not uncommon to experience a number of different emotions following the birth of a child. Some emotions felt by mothers following the birth of a child are stress, sadness, anxiety, loneliness. These feelings are usually temporary and improve over time, however, some mother's symptoms don't resolve and they may need additional support to help with the problem.

Postpartum depression affects one in every 8 to 10 women anytime between birth and one year of the child's life. This may be also exacerbated when they are multiple births or multiple children in the household.

Postpartum depression can bring up a lot of negative thoughts due to the shame and reluctance some may feel about expressing their experience and thinking that others may feel they are a bad mothers. Depression, especially postpartum depression is not a character flaw or a sign of weakness. 

In addition to some of the symptoms you expressed, other symptoms of postpartum depression include severe sleep problems, change in appetite, lack of motivation or energy, lack of interest in  previously enjoyable activities, difficulty concentrating and thoughts of harming yourself or the child.

If you are feeling any of these symptoms, it is important that you let someone you can trust (such as your spouse or significant other) know what you feeling so they can help and support you.

You can also ask for help with baby responsibilities from family or friends, talk to your doctor, try building in some time for yourself in your day with support from others to give you a break or join a postpartum support group (www. postpartum.net, www. womenshealth.gov or www.ppdsupportpage.com). Help is out there and early detection and treatment are critical for recovery. 

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, It would be helpful to get some more information about your particular situation so that we can better assess your symptoms and help you through this difficult time. Please feel free to reach out to me or any of my colleagues on this platform for additional assistance. We look forward to hearing from you soon.