Baby Blues and PMADs
Becoming a parent can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be really complex.
1 in 5 to 7 women and 1 in 10 partners experience a PMAD. PMADs are different from the baby blues, let’s learn a little bit more about how to figure out what’s going on for you!
What are the baby blues? The baby blues are very common, affecting about 80% of new parents. The baby blues are a feeling of sadness that typically begin within a few days of the baby’s birth and may last up to two weeks. If you’re sadness continues longer its really important to speak to your health care provider.
Postpartum Depression occurs in about 15% of women postpartum. Its symptoms can include feelings of sadness, guilt, hopelessness, irritability, changes in sleep habits or appetite, feelings of being disconnected from others and difficulty bonding with the new baby.
Postpartum Anxiety affects about 10% of women postpartum. You may be experiencing this if you’ve noticed you’re constantly worrying, your thoughts are racing, you’re having intrusive thoughts, you can’t sit still, or having difficulty sleeping. You may also notice some physical symptoms of nausea, dizziness, headaches, hot flashes or shortness of breath.
Postpartum OCD affects about 3-5% of women. OCD includes obsessions (intrusive thoughts), often upsetting thoughts images about the baby. It also presents with compulsions which are repetitive behaviors that help reduce the feelings of fear. In many cases the parent will also experience hypervigilance about the baby’s safety or fears of harming the baby. It is important to note that these thoughts are not delusional and there is very low risk that they thoughts will be acted on.
Postpartum Psychosis, is very rare, only affecting about 0.2% of women postpartum. It is important to note that this is an emergency and should be addressed immediately. This often comes with delusions, hyperactivity, difficulty sleeping, paranoia, mood swings, flat facial expressions, severe depression and irritability.
Postpartum PTSD occurs in about 9% of women. PTSD happens when a trauma is experienced, most commonly a birth trauma. PTSD presents with flashbacks, reliving the trauma, nightmares, anxiety, panic attacks, increased arousal or hypervigilance, and avoidance of reminders of the trauma. Its important to keep in mind that not every will identify their experience as a trauma, but that doesn’t mean symptoms can’t exist.
Postpartum Bipolar refers to the experience of both depressed and elated moods. It can also include rapid speech, hyperactivity, overspending, difficulty sleeping, grandiose thinking, racing thoughts, anxiety, irritability, and overconfidence.
