Baby blues symptoms are not talked about nearly enough but it is so so so important to be able to recognize them.
If you’ve read any of my posts about life after giving birth then you know I always talk about the postpartum period as being an emotional rollercoaster. One minute you are happy crying and the next you’re crying out of frustration because your newborn baby won’t sleep.
But one thing I hope to shed light on in this post is postpartum mental health and postpartum emotional changes that you will go through in the first few weeks after birth, specifically the baby blues.
After reading this post, you will feel so much more confident in being able to recognize the baby blues symptoms, know what causes them, understand the difference between baby blues vs postpartum depression, and have a better idea for what postpartum exercise won’t cost you anything but will instantly make you feel better (it’s not what you think).
This post is all about the baby blues and baby blues symptoms you can look out for.
Postpartum Mental Health
Before we really get into the baby blues symptoms, I think it’s so important to first talk about postpartum mental health as a whole.
It’s easy to look at social media and think that postpartum is full of playdates and baby snuggles. While that will definitely be part of it, the early days will be some of the most challenging you will experience especially as a first time mom.
It’s normal to feel everything from incredible happiness and overwhelming joy to crippling anxiety and loneliness and basically every emotion you can imagine. Not only are you exhausted from being a supermom every day and night, your body is also trying to recover from birth. Add in postpartum hormones and postpartum night sweats and it’s a recipe for a lot of tears.
It can be A LOT.
Some women are able to navigate the postpartum period / fourth trimester of pregnancy with ease while many, many others struggle with some form of postpartum emotional changes.
So what are the most common postpartum mental health issues and what is the difference between baby blues vs postpartum depression? Let’s get into it…
1. Baby Blues
The baby blues describes the short period of time (~2 weeks) following your child’s birth where you may feel sad, worried, irritable, moody, overwhelmed, trapped and may cry a lot.
This postpartum emotional change is extremely common and approximately 70 to 80% of new moms experience some form of mood swings or negative feelings after birth.
It is triggered by the physical and emotional changes following birth as well as the plummeting of levels of estrogen and progesterone which were high during pregnancy.
The baby blues affect up to 80% of mothers but usually goes away on its own within a few weeks.
2. Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum anxiety (PPA) takes the baby blues a step further.
Being a new mom can be stressful but those with postpartum anxiety usually have overwhelming, irrational worry that does not go away on its own after a few weeks like the baby blues. It takes new mom’s concerns but makes them feel more extreme and persistent.
Some of the factors that can influence a mom to experience postpartum anxiety are the hormonal shifts after giving birth, sleep deprivation, lifestyle or relationship changes post birth, societal pressures on new moms to be “perfect”, having a history of anxiety, having a premature baby, or previous experience with a miscarriage.
3. Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a more serious and long lasting form of depression that many women experience during the first year after giving birth. It can often be confused with the baby blues but it is a much more intense and longer lasting condition that impacts your ability to care for your baby and handle daily tasks.
Postpartum depression is in no way a character flaw or weakness. Having a baby is a major, life-changing event but for some women so profound feelings of sadness, overwhelm and a lack of interest in the baby or life in general can persist.
Postpartum depression typically presents itself in the first few weeks after birth and can last for several weeks, months or even a year and usually requires prompt treatment to help manage symptoms.
A mother with postpartum depression may feel embarrassed or ashamed about not being perfectly happy after having a baby or feel that others would judge her if they knew all the struggles she was going through behind closed doors.
Related: 17+ Practical Postpartum Mental Health Tips You Need To Know Before Giving Birth
Let’s dive deeper into the baby blues…
Baby Blues
Baby Blues Symptoms
The key baby blues symptoms that postpartum moms can look out for include:
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sadness
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Restlessness
- Crying for no reason
- Poor concentration
- Trouble sleeping
- No interest in food
How Long Do Baby Blues Last
The baby blues are the most mild kind of postpartum mental health issue that newly postpartum moms face.
Moms can start to recognize the baby blues symptoms as early as a few days after birth and they usually last for a week or two. Unlike with postpartum anxiety or postpartum depression, the baby blues will go away on their own around the two week mark.
Baby Blues vs Postpartum Depression
Although the baby blues and postpartum depression may seem similar in the beginning, they are very different.
The chart below is not an exhaustive list but summarizes the key differences between the baby blues vs postpartum depression so you have a better idea of how the two compare.
| Baby Blues | Postpartum | |
| How Often | ~80% new moms | ~20% of new moms |
| When | From birth to 2 weeks postpartum | From birth to one year postpartum |
| Cause | Drop in hormone levels after birth combined with being exhausted, feeling trapped/isolated, feeling inadequate as a mom or problems bonding with baby | A true medical problem caused by a shift in hormones that causes new moms to feel overly tired, anxious, overwhelmed and sad. Physical and mental changes can bring on postpartum depression and women who have a history of mental health disorders are at a higher risk. |
| Symptoms | – Mood swings – Anxiety – Irritability – Sadness – Feeling overwhelmed – Restlessness – Crying for no reason – Poor concentration – Trouble sleeping – No interest in food | – Crying – Insomnia or wanting to sleep all day – Extremes of eating – loss of appetite or wanting to eat everything – Intense irritability – Difficulty bonding with baby – Severe anxiety – Loss of interest in doing things you used to love – Excessive worry about your baby’s health – Inability to care for yourself or your baby – Little interest in or negative thoughts towards your baby – Fear of being alone with your baby – Social isolation – Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness or helplessness |
| Solution | Baby blues symptoms tend to go away on their own once a routine is established and postpartum hormones stabilize. | Work with your doctor to develop a plan that is best with you. Therapy and/or medicine are common with PPD. |
| How Your Partner Can Help | – Listen and encourage you to talk about your feelings – Let him watch the baby so you can have time on your own to rest/recharge/shower – Help lighten the load around the house – Give you grace and time to work through it | – Talk to you about how you’re feeling – Speak up when he recognizes your postpartum depression symptoms are lasting longer than they should – Call your doctor if you need him to – Reach out to family/friends to help watch the baby while you address this postpartum mental health issue together. |
Tips to Help With Baby Blues Symptoms
- Give yourself grace.
- Advocate for yourself and let your support system know you need help.
- Understand that the baby blues are normal and can come with the initial postpartum period.
- Take care of yourself – eat, sleep and set aside some alone time when you have help with your baby.
- Talk to other moms.
- Create a loose schedule that works for you.
- Unfollow accounts on social media that don’t serve you during this period.
- Get fresh air daily.
- Don’t compare your postpartum journey with someone else’s.
- Let go of any “rules” and do what works for you and your baby.
- Don’t worry about chores or a clean house in the first few weeks.
- Create safe zones for your baby so he can be safely put down when you need a few minutes.
- Read up on postpartum mental health.
- Take a baby sleep class to help you get a few solid stretches of sleep. I swear by the Taking Cara Babies Newborn Class!
- Talk to your doctor about how you’re feeling. He/she may feel that treatment (medicine or therapy) would be beneficial to you if you are showing signs of postpartum anxiety or depression.
- Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right then it probably isn’t. Speak up for yourself even if it’s scary or embarrassing (because mental health never is!).
This post is all about the baby blues and baby blues symptoms you can look out for.
This is not intended to serve as medical advice. Consult with your doctor if you think you are experiencing any postpartum mental health symptoms.
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