Pregnancy and childbirth bring shifting hormones, mixed emotions, and mood changes that can sometimes be severe. This is a time when your mental health matters.
Pregnancy and childbirth can activate more than just changes in your body. Most new parents go through mild mood changes, including the baby blues, but as many as 1 in 5 develop more serious mental health issues.
For your health and your infant’s health, take care of yourself as much as you can. Make sure you eat right, stay active, get enough sleep, and know what to do for your mental health.
Baby Blues and Before
Feelings of sadness or unease may come after you have a baby. You may cry, feel anxious, or restless. These mood changes can come before you give birth, too, and any time during pregnancy
These emotional shifts are normal and will usually go away within two weeks. But if these symptoms last longer, and if they interfere with your daily life and care for your baby, you should get help. Your healthcare provider can tell you the right steps to take and arrange treatment if necessary.
- Baby blues and depression: Understand the difference March of Dimes
Know What to Do
Use this action plan from the National Institutes of Health to see whether what you are feeling is depression and anxiety during pregnancy or after birth, and whether you should seek help.
Remember: Your healthcare provider can give you the best advice on the right steps to take if you're concerned about what you're feeling.
If you...
- Feel like you just aren't yourself
- Have trouble managing your emotions
- Feel overwhelmed but are still able to care for yourself and your baby
You may be experiencing mood swings that happen to many pregnant women and new moms.
These feelings typically go away after a couple of weeks.
- Take special care of yourself. Get your partner to watch the baby, get a babysitter, or team up with another mom to share child care so that you can rest and exercise.
- Continue to watch for signs of depression and anxiety in the yellow and red sections below. If things get worse, find someone to talk to. Talk to a health care provider if you feel unsure.
If you...
- Have feelings of intense anxiety that hit with no warning
- Feel foggy and have difficulty completing tasks
- Feel "robotic," like you are just going through the motions
- Have little interest in things you used to enjoy
- Feel very anxious around the baby and your other children
- Have upsetting thoughts that don't go away
- Feel guilty and feel like you are failing at motherhood
You may be experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety.
These feelings will not go away on their own.
- Get help. Contact your health care provider or visit a clinic.
- Call Postpartum Support International at 1-800-944-4773 to speak to a volunteer who can provide you with support and resources in your area.
- Talk to your partner, family and friends about these feeling so they can help you.
If you...
- Feel hopeless and total despair
- Feel out of touch with reality (you may see or hear things other people don't)
- Feel that you may hurt yourself or your baby
Get help now!
- Call 9-1-1 to get immediate help.
- Call the Helpline 1-877-210-8513 at the Mississippi Department of Mental Health for around-the-clock support and help.
- Text 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and speak with a trained crisis counselor, or can chat online at 988lifeline.org.
Resources
- Perinatal Depression in Partners: Can Both Parents Get the "Baby Blues?"from HealthyChildren.org
- Help for Dads from Postpartum Support International (PSI)
- Mental Health Matters from the National Institutes of Health
1-833-TLC-MAMA
1-833-852-6262
Becoming a new parent can be hard. It is normal to feel depressed, anxious and overwhelmed after having a baby. You're not alone. Mental health challenges are common during this time, so many new moms and mothers-to-be reach seek help. If you need someone to talk to, call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) any time. It's free and confidential.
1-833-TLC-MAMA
1-833-852-6262
¿Eres madre primeriza – o pronto lo serás – y te sientes triste, preocupada, abrumada o te preguntas si no eres suficientemente buena? Estos son sentimientos comunes durante o después del embarazo, y hay ayuda disponible. Los consejeros de la Línea Nacional de Asistencia a la Salud Mental Materna brindan apoyo emocional confidencial y recursos gratuitos las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana para ayudarte a sentirte mejor. Llama o envía un mensaje de texto.
Essential services for mothers and mothers-to-be.
The Mississippi Attorney General's Office brings you a complete resource for services you can use, from health care to adoption, education and jobs: MAMA — Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance.
