What To Do About Sadness After the Birth of my Baby?
Author: Stacia Mills, MD
Due to my special experience in perinatal psychiatry, I am often asked about what to do about various intense feelings after the birth of one’s baby. A common example of such a question is, “I have been so sad after the birth of my baby three weeks ago. I have a hard time even bonding with my baby. What should I do?”
While I require more information on the symptoms to diagnose someone, I can say that this sounds like perinatal depression or what is often called postpartum depression. Due to the timing of the diagnosis, which I will discuss a bit later, the clinical term has changed from postpartum depression to perinatal depression. Perinatal depression is a common problem for women and birthing individuals.
Perinatal depression has the same symptoms as depression, which we talked about in a previous blog, but with a few differences. As a reminder, the symptoms of depression are:
Sleeping more or less than usual
Little interest in fun activities
Feeling guilty or worthless
Low energy
Problems concentrating
Eating more or less than usual
Moving slowly
Thoughts of suicide or that you would be better off dead (if you have thoughts of suicide, please call 911, 988, or go to the nearest emergency room)
In addition to those symptoms, perinatal depression is characterized by
Lack of interest in the baby, not feeling bonded to the baby, or feeling very anxious about/around the baby
Feelings of being a bad mother
Fear of harming the baby or oneself (if you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, please call 911, 988, or go to the nearest emergency room)
If you start having the symptoms I mentioned above during pregnancy or up to a year after birth of your baby, then you could be suffering from perinatal depression. I suggest you talk to your doctor or mental health professional as soon as possible for assistance.
The good news is, there is help for perinatal depression! Treatment options include:
Medications (I can help you with that!)
Healthy nutrition and a regular sleep schedule (I can help you with that!)
Increasing social support (I can help empower you to reach out to your social network!)
Talk therapy (I can refer you to a therapist)
The results of treatment are better when you use more than one option together.
If you would like me to help you with perinatal depression, please on the “Contact” button on my website and schedule your free 15min consultation with me, Dr. Mills.
Thanks for reading and have a great week. Remember, Mental Health is Freedom!
Dr. Mills is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Freedom Psychiatry, located in California. She focuses on achieving mental wellness using medication, nutrition, and lifestyle changes.