Giving birth to a child is one of life‘s biggest changes and greatest pleasures.

Welcoming a new member to your family sparks great change in your life. Most especially the mother as her body is also undergoing some major changes both physically and emotionally. The first few months after giving birth can be very challenging. New parents now must learn to make sacrifices and endure fatigue being the new norm. Of course, there is the expected feelings of pride to welcome a new child into your home and an incredible amount joy. However, a mother may also experience feelings of great sorrow, irritation, and fatigue throughout the first few months post-partum.

The “Baby Blues”

The important thing to remember here is that these feelings and changes and moods are much more common than we might think. This common type of weeping sadness is often associated with the drastic hormonal changes women undergo immediately after giving birth. Women’s hormones rise during pregnancy, then plummet right after childbirth. These are often called the “baby blues.” If, however, there are deeper levels of sadness, then this could be postpartum depression or perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD).

Symptoms include:

• Sadness or crying for no apparent reason
• Impatience
• Irritability
• Restlessness or inability to sleep
• Anxiety or nervousness
• Tiredness
• Insomnia
• Mood swings
• Inability to concentrate