Emotional Changes Many women experience feelings of sadness and irritability after giving birth. Emotional changes can be normal and can range from postpartum blues, to clinical depression, to psychotic depression. The difference lies on the nature and intensity of these feelings as well as the length of time they last. Women are more likely to develop these problems following the birth of their baby than at any other time in their lives.
Postpartum Blues Usually begin around the third or fourth day after birth and can last from a few hours to a week. You may experience feelings of: • Have trouble concentrating or sleeping • Overwhelmed or exhausted • Anxious • Tearful or crying easily • Irritable These feelings occur in nine out of 10 women who have given birth, regardless if this is their first or they have had other children. Usually these feelings are not long term and disappear without any treatment. Because we care about your emotional and mental health we screen all patients for postpartum depression. Postpartum blues, also known as “baby blues”, occurs in 50-85% of women and can be normal, but postpartum depression is more severe and can affect your ability to take care of yourself and your baby. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a set of 10 questions that can help us get a better sense of how you’re feeling. For each question, select the statement that is closest to how you have felt in the past seven days. Please avoid discussing your answers with anyone and be as honest as possible.
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