Common Postpartum Issues
Reasons for seeking postpartum counseling are as varied as the women who seek it. The following are some common issues that motivate women into therapy. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be in a crisis to get help. An ounce of prevention goes a long way.
- Mood instability, irritability or intensity
- Sadness or frequent crying
- Feeling overwhelmed, helpless or excessively worried
- Traumatic birth or complications affecting mother and/or baby
- Feeling inadequate or guilty
- Inability to adjust and rebalance your life
- Marital problems after children
- Scary thoughts that don’t make sense to you
- Difficulty bonding with your baby
A word about PPD, "Baby Blues" & other postpartum disorders...
Many women experience a period of moodiness that lasts for a few weeks after childbirth and resolves on it's own. This is frequently referred to "the baby blues" and it happens to approximately 60-80% of postpartum women.
An estimated 15-20% of new moms experience more serious and persistent depression known as "postpartum depression" or PPD. Symptoms may include pervasive sadness, inability to enjoy things you usually enjoy, lack of motivation, extreme fatigue, increase or decrease in appetite or sleep, excessive guilt, poor self-esteem.
More serious symptoms that require quick intervention are suicidal ideas, scary thoughts, or images about the baby, excessive fear or anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts or compulsive activity such as the creation of rituals for everyday activities or excessive cleaning.
Symptoms can appear suddenly or build up slowly and can happen to anyone regardless of prior mental health problems.
For more information, visit the resources page.