SSIGNS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
VS.
SIGNS OF THE BABY BLUES

Do you have signs of postpartum depression (PPD) or is it just the baby blues? In order to answer this question, it is important to lay out what these two phenomena are, and how they are different from one another.

The postpartum blues ("the baby blues") are a transitory and normal experience. The blues generally occur within the first days of giving birth and last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks at most.

The baby blues are believed to be a result of hormonal activity and changes. Over 50% of new moms get the postpartum blues.

The blues are about increased emotional reactivity, both positive and negative. This means you might cry more easily than normal, you might get more easily irritated, and/or you might experience other stronger-than-usual surges of different emotions. Because the blues are transitory, these emotions should settle within a week or two.

Postpartum depression is different. Postpartum depression is about feeling like you're not coping. As such, the main signs of postpartum depression are less about emotional reactivity and more about feeling low, anxious and/or hopeless, having obsessive thoughts and feeling unable to cope.

Two of the more serious signs of postpartum depression are suicidal ideation and delusional thoughts. If this is you, please talk to someone about this and see your health provider immediately.

The signs of postpartum depression are also less transitory than the blues. It can take time, as well as some dedicated attention to building up your personal resources and dealing with your adjustment issues before the depressive symptoms start to lift.

Sometimes medication is also needed to effectively treat PPD. That's because PPD isn’t just about hormonal changes ~ it’s also about the psychosocial process of adjusting to a new baby and to the changes associated with being a new mother.

The postpartum blues and postpartum depression are thus different in the following main ways:

• The blues are more transitory and shorter-lasting than postpartum depression.
• The baby blues generally occur within a few days of giving birth, and typically last no more than a few weeks at most. PPD, by contrast, can start sooner OR later after the birth of the baby.
• Postpartum depression is a bio-psychosocial phenomenon, meaning that a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors are implicated in its cause and development. The baby blues, by contrast, are believed to be primarily hormonally driven.
• The baby blues are characterized by greater emotional reactivity and sensitivity. PPD, by contrast, is characterized more by disordered thinking, depressed mood, and feeling unable to cope. Click here to screen yourself for PPD.
• The blues are common among the majority of new mothers, and are considered a NORMAL part of the early postpartum experience.PPD, by contrast is considerably less common (about 10-13% of new moms get diagnosed with PPD), and is also more serious in nature. If you think you might be suffering from postpartum depression, please contact your health care provider.