With a new addition to your family, it’s expected that time will be needed to adjust. This can be an emotional time and although this change is often stressful, it is important to remember to take time for yourself and take note of your mental health and well-being.  When you need time to de-stress, don’t be afraid to accept help from family and friends if it’s offered – you deserve it. It’s also recommended that you ask for help, or go back to someone who previously offered to help. Finally, consider joining a mother’s or postpartum support group. Meeting other parents that are going through, or have gone through the same thing as you, can be very helpful – and they most likely need the same support as you do. Being a new parent is a challenge, so having a strong support network from friends, family and support groups is super important to maintaining positive mental health. 

Being a parent usually means you’re always busy, and it can be difficult to find time for yourself to de-stress. Sometimes the difficulty can come from a lack of support from the people around you, or a lack of spare time. No matter how much support or time you have in your life, it is very important to do anything you can to keep your spirits high and stay in a healthy mindset throughout your recovery from all of the hard work you’ve endured during your pregnancy and your parenting journey.   

Even though this time is very exciting, it is also very common to feel sadness post-pregnancy. Around 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression, and it is estimated that nearly 50% of mothers with postpartum depression go undiagnosed¹ Remember you are not alone. There is help available from support groups along with mental health and health care professionals.  

There are also topics you should discuss with your physician or provider, including: 

Symptoms of mood swings or “baby blues”, which includes: 

Inform your doctor right away if you’ve been feeling overly overwhelmed, anxious, sad, obsessive, isolated, nervous or exhausted. Having these feelings can be difficult and scary but are also very normal during this time. It’s best for you get care and support, for both you and your baby. It is especially important if you notice changes getting worse or lasting for more than two weeks.  

If you’re experiencing these feelings, it’s also important to remember to not blame yourself. Changes like these are caused by the sudden shift in hormones after pregnancy. Within the first 48 hours of delivery, estrogen and progesterone levels plummet, which causes the negative emotions many mothers feel postpartum. There are other factors that may increase your risk of developing postpartum depression such as social and relationship issues, stressful life events, depression during pregnancy and history of bipolar disorder and depression outside of pregnancy. 

It can be intimidating to receive treatment for these emotions, but it is nothing to be ashamed of. Getting the care you need is the best thing you can do as a parent for both you and your child. Although you might not realize it, your emotions directly affect your baby and their wellbeing. Besides the effects that depression has on day-to-day life, research suggests that untreated postpartum depression can lead the child to eventually experience developmental disorders, behavioral and learning problems and impaired social and relationship skills.