Postpartum Depression

Depression affects 10-15% of parents shortly before pregnancy, during pregnancy, or after the birth of a child. Risk factors for postpartum depression (depression after giving birth) include a history of depression before or during pregnancy, difficulty with initiating and maintaining breastfeeding, and previous struggles with anxiety. It is a very real entity that can have adverse consequences for both parent and baby. At your first visits with baby at the pediatrician’s office, they will not only ask you how baby is doing but how you are doing as a new parent, often with standardized questions that have been verified by reputable studies to identify depression in new parents. If you are wondering why you are not feeling as happy as you thought you would be after having a baby, please let your child’s pediatrician and obstetrician (OB) or primary care doctor know. There are really great support groups and scientifically backed therapies that range from check-ins with a postpartum counselor to breastfeeding-safe antidepressants to more intensive inpatient programs if needed for the health and safety of mom and baby. 

The vast amount of information that parents consume before becoming parents can also play into this letdown and feelings of depression. When what the baby books, Facebook groups, Instagram posts, or even what friends and families tell you their experiences with new parenthood are like they often sound glorious and effortless, while the truth is anything but. So I always advise families to take one day at a time and learn as much as they can about their baby and their baby’s personality. Let life unfold rather than compare it to any book or post, and if they have concerns that things are not what they should be with baby, please let us know and have a discussion in clinic to figure things out and work through it together. It takes a village, ya know.