Many new mothers experience emotional changes after giving birth, often called the “baby blues,” but health experts say for some women, it can be much more serious.
Tiffany Waters, a charge nurse at the birthing center at OSF HealthCare, says up to 80 percent of moms experience some level of emotional difficulty after delivery. But doctors now use a broader term: perinatal mood, anxiety, and depression, or PMAD. That includes mental health issues that can develop anytime from pregnancy through a baby’s first year.
Waters says in the first few weeks after birth, most women deal with hormone changes, lack of sleep, and stress from adjusting to life with a newborn. She says traumatic births, like emergency C-sections, can make things even harder — and about one in three women experience that. Symptoms can include anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, brain fog, compulsive behavior, and in some cases, even suicidal thoughts. Waters says there’s no single cause.
Waters says doctors should screen mothers for mental health concerns during and after pregnancy using a short questionnaire that helps identify those who may need more help. These screenings are critical for being able to help mothers with the right treatment.
She says many women are afraid to speak up because of pressure to be a “perfect mom” or fear their children could be taken away.
She says journaling or talking to a trusted person can help open the door to getting support.
If a mother is diagnosed with PMAD, treatment can include support groups, counseling, spiritual care, medication, and lifestyle changes. Waters also says it’s important for moms to prioritize themselves and ask for help when they need it.
Waters says untreated PMAD can affect the entire family, increasing stress and the risk of problems like substance abuse and domestic violence. But treatment can make a big difference.
For more information, visit the OSF HealthCare website. And if you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available by calling or texting 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
