The days and weeks after having a baby can bring a lot of different feelings at once — joy, exhaustion, love, overwhelm, sometimes all within the same hour. It can be hard to know what’s a normal part of this huge adjustment, and what might be something more that’s worth extra support.
The baby blues
The “baby blues” are very common, affecting a large proportion of new parents in the days after birth. They typically involve tearfulness, mood swings, and feeling overwhelmed, usually beginning a few days after birth and settling on their own within about two weeks, as hormone levels shift and the initial adjustment period passes.
Perinatal anxiety and depression
Perinatal anxiety and depression can look different from the baby blues in a few ways. They tend to last longer than two weeks, and can be more intense — persistent worry that’s hard to switch off, a sense of dread, difficulty sleeping even when the baby is asleep, feeling disconnected from your baby or from yourself, or a low mood that doesn’t lift. These experiences can begin during pregnancy as well as after birth, and they’re more common than many people realise.
Why it’s worth paying attention
None of this reflects on you as a parent — perinatal anxiety and depression are shaped by a complex mix of hormonal, physical, psychological and social factors, and they can affect anyone. But because these experiences can be distressing and can affect your wellbeing and your relationship with your baby, it’s worth taking seriously if what you’re feeling seems to go beyond the baby blues, or isn’t easing with time.
Getting support
Speaking with your GP, child health nurse, or a therapist experienced in perinatal mental health can help you figure out what’s going on and what kind of support might help. Therapy can offer a space to process the adjustment of early parenthood, work through anxious thoughts, and rebuild a sense of steadiness — at your own pace.
You can read more about perinatal and postnatal support, or begin an enquiry to arrange a free 15-minute call.
If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, please contact emergency services on 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, or go to your nearest emergency department.