Take Care of Your Mental Health Before and After Pregnancy
Along with the joy and excitement for pregnancy and childbirth, many mothers also experience sadness. You may find yourself crying, irritable, impatient, feeling a lack of confidence or even unable to manage caring for yourself or your baby. These feelings can occur during pregnancy or after childbirth. Perinatal depression includes depression that starts during pregnancy (prenatal depression) and in the first few weeks after childbirth (postpartum depression).
If you or someone you love is experiencing perinatal depression, you’re not alone. The experts at St. Luke’s are here to provide the support and care you need. We don’t just treat you like a number. As our patient, we’ll provide the thoughtful, whole-person care you deserve.
Possible Symptoms of Perinatal and Postpartum Depression
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your OB/GYN provider:
- A sense of emotional numbness or feeling trapped
- A strong sense of failure or inadequacy
- Constant fatigue
- Difficulty making sense of things
- Excessive concern for your baby
- High expectations and an overly demanding attitude
- Lack of concern for yourself or your baby
- Lack of joy in life
- Loss of sexual interest or responsiveness
- Severe insomnia
- Severe mood swings
- Withdrawal from family and friends
Emotional changes can range from baby blues to clinical depression or psychotic depression.The difference lies in the nature and the intensity of these feelings and how long they last. Baby blues tend to last for a few days to a couple of weeks after giving birth and tend to be mild. Postpartum depression lasts longer and is more intense. Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a mental health emergency that can include delusions, hallucinations and thoughts of harming either yourself or your new baby.
If you think you or someone you care about is experiencing signs of perinatal or postpartum depression, contact your provider right away.