Postpartum Depression Symptoms

1. Prolonged Grief and Sadness

You may experience a very prolonged season of grief and sadness when PPD is kicking in. Those hobbies and activities that used to be fun for you no longer interest you. You may find it hard knowing the source of your sadness, but some women may be aware that it is related to the connection to their newborns. In an extreme situation, as a mother, you may be triggered to resent your child and neglect parental obligations.

2. Unpredictable Mood swings

If you have PPD, you may exhibit severe mood swings, unpredictability, and agitation. You may feel very fine one minute, and the next minute you feel sad and frustrated. These mood swings can leave you exhausted and confused, leading to shame and self-loathing.

3. Feeling Overwhelmed

With PPD, you may suddenly start feeling inadequate and that you are not doing enough as a caregiver. You may doubt your abilities to support and nurture your newborn. At some point, you may have a feeling of regret for having the child. Extreme situations of feeling overwhelmed make some women abandon their children, which further causes guilt to kick in when this feeling fades away.

4. Frequent Crying Spells

Postpartum depression may cause you to experience frequent crying patterns that are abnormal. You may start crying at odd times without any specific reason. This may be experienced several times in a day, and in severe cases, you may have crying spells which are very intense and accompanied by hyperventilating, shaking, dizziness and other panic symptoms. During such times, your partner or another caregiver should take care of the newborn and ensure the baby is safe while you take a break.

5. Decreased Concentration and Memory Problems

When you have postpartum depression, you may begin to ignore work, get lost in thoughts, neglect important tasks and exhibit symptoms of memory loss. You could start forgetting where you placed items, forgetting important dates or tasks, and you could even forget if you have changed or fed your newborn.

6. Your Sleep Patterns Start to Change

There could be a disruption in your sleep cycle if you have postpartum depression. You may either experience bouts of insomnia or start sleeping longer than usual. In a time where your focus is demanded, you may start feeling fatigued. As much as it is normal for a newborn to change your sleeping cycle, changes that are intense and interfering with your ability to care for yourself or your newborn may be a sign of postpartum depression.

7. Change In Eating Patterns

Exhibiting a significant increase or decrease in your appetite may be a sign of postpartum depression. Normally, your eating patterns should go back to normal after your pregnancy is over, but when you find yourself continuously rejecting your favorite food or even eating at odd hours, you may be a patient of postpartum depression.

8. Low Libido

Postpartum depression may cause a complete loss of libido and a complete disinterest in sexual intimacy. This may result from the developed anxiety and that comes with increased parenthood responsibilities or from the constant feeling of fatigue that commonly develops after having a baby. 

9. Social Withdrawal

With postpartum depression, you may have a sense of sadness and anxiety. These two feelings can cause you to start avoiding social interactions with friends and family, and may trigger you to isolate yourself in social situations. If you find yourself not answering calls, not responding to messages, and avoiding social situations to maintain your solitude, you could be suffering from postpartum depression.

10. Finding It Hard to Make Decisions

With postpartum depression, you may find yourself too tired to even think straight. You may develop an “I don’t care” attitude. Making decisions becomes a tedious task. You find it hard deciding whether or not to get out of the bed, take a shower, get your baby’s diaper changed, or even take them for a walk. These signs may be indicative that you are developing postpartum depression.

11. Thoughts of Harming Yourself

Postpartum depression may cause you to have suicidal ideation, urges to self-harm or even intrusive thoughts about hurting your baby. In advanced situations, you may develop postpartum psychosis, a rare and serious mental illness resulting from postpartum depression. In these cases, you should call your doctor or National Suicide Prevention lifeline at 800-273-8255 to get help.