Postpartum Depression

Becoming a new parent can bring moments of joy and moments that feel unexpectedly heavy. Many new mothers experience mood changes after birth, and sometimes those feelings linger or grow stronger. The healthcare professionals at VHC Health can help you understand what you’re experiencing and connect you with our support group.

What’s Postpartum Depression?

It’s common to experience the “baby blues” a few days after giving birth. Baby blues symptoms usually lessen and disappear within two weeks after delivery.

If you experience the symptoms for longer than two weeks, you may have postpartum depression (PPD). This health condition can interfere with your daily life. According to the Office on Women’s Health, about 1 in 9 new mothers has PPD.

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

You may have PPD if you:

• Cry easily and often
• Experience nervousness or anxiety
• Feel angry and irritable
• Have a hard time falling or staying asleep
• Have difficulty concentrating
• Lose your appetite or eat more than usual
• Lose interest in things you usually enjoy
• Struggle to care for your baby
• Think of hurting your baby or yourself
• Think your baby would be better off without you
• Want to separate yourself from family and friends

Postpartum Support Group

Attend a support group for postpartum depression if you’re anxious, angry or sad. You’ll get to share your thoughts and feelings with other moms who have similar experiences.

Support Group Helps Lower a Mom’s Anxiety

Mandy had wanted a baby for so long, yet she felt unhappy throughout her first pregnancy. After her first child was born, “everything really went downhill,” she recalls.

“Breastfeeding was a struggle. I couldn’t sleep at all, and I felt completely overwhelmed. I wasn’t enjoying my baby.”

Two weeks after delivery, Mandy went to see her OB/GYN, who recommended she get help at home so she could get more rest and see a therapist. Once her son started sleeping longer, things were a little better, but Mandy still felt anxious and depressed.

“I was scared to give my baby a bath by myself for fear that I would drop him,” she says. “The anxiety was paralyzing.”

"This is not traditional depression. What these moms feel is isolation, anxiety and loss of confidence."

— Mary Crowther, MBBS, OB/GYN

Group Offers Friendship, Connection

Mandy started attending the Postpartum Support Group. It helped her hear other women’s stories and see that “it wasn’t just me,” she says.

After one particularly difficult weekend, her therapist said it was time to consider taking a low-dose antidepressant, a treatment Mandy had resisted initially. This time, she agreed.

“Within weeks, my crying was much less intense, and I didn’t feel as sad. My anxiety was still there, but more manageable,” she says. It took Mandy about nine months after her baby was born to feel completely like herself again.

The decision to have another baby was one they considered carefully. Mandy says her experience with her second son has been “100% different. My anxiety is much lower, and every moment with him has been a joy.”

Mandy still attends the Postpartum Support Group, but for different reasons. “This time, I realize when I have a bad day, it won’t last forever. I want to share my experiences and what I learned to help other new moms.”