Postpartum Depression

You will need to look out for the way you feel so that those “baby blues” don’t creep up and shock you without warning. It is normal to have mixed feelings such as sad and happy for the first few weeks after post natal. Your body is experiencing some great physical transformation after the birth of your child. Your hormones will be changing and you are likely to feel not getting enough sleep. All of this will affect how you feel. You should be patient with yourself, understand that all these feelings are normal, and that in a couple of weeks things will feel better for you. If you are getting more depressed, and find it a challenge to care for yourself and your family, you should consult your physician to see if you are suffering from postpartum depression. Symptoms of postpartum depression include:

• Overwhelming feelings of sadness and depression followed by crying.
• Having little or no energy.
• Feelings of guilt and uselessness.
• Either don't care for your baby or too concerned and worried about your baby.
• Weight gain followed by overeating.
• Weight loss followed by not eating.
• Fear of hurting yourself or your baby.
• Insomnia.
• Oversleeping.