(Lizzie Duszynski-Goodman/ Forbes Health) — If you’ve just given birth, you are likely experiencing a world of adjustments, both physically and emotionally. While it can be normal to experience mood swings, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping in the two weeks following childbirth, when these symptoms persist, they may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety.
Here’s what you need to know about these postnatal disorders, including symptoms and available treatments.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition that occurs within one year of giving birth, though it most commonly manifests between one and three weeks postpartum.
“Apart from the fact that it happens soon after childbirth, PPD is clinically no different from a depressive episode that occurs at any other time in a woman’s life,” says Becky Morrison, N.P., a family nurse practitioner in Alberta, Canada, who specializes in addiction and mental health.
Those with PPD experience overwhelming sadness that may impact their ability to function and care for their newborns. About one in seven people who have given birth are diagnosed with PPD. (…)