13 Symptoms of Postpartum blues and how to detect them at the earliest

Even in the 21st century, there is a lot of taboo and unawareness around the term Postpartum Depression. Blaming the hormones or the “dramatic” nature of women in general has proved detrimental to their mental health.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a complex mix of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that happen in some women after giving birth.

It’s a form of depression that usually begins 4 weeks postpartum and can have adverse effects on your mental health starting with subtle signs. Postpartum depression is linked to chemical, social, and psychological changes that happen when having a baby. The term describes a range of physical and emotional changes like feelings of not being good enough, pondering over if they are suited to be a mother, or extreme anxiety, stress over the changes that have taken place in the past few days or weeks leaving you in a whirlwind, that many new mothers experience. PPD can be treated with medication and counseling.

Chemical changes which occur is usually due to the sharp decline in hormones estrogen and progesterone post delivery. They drop back to their normal levels, which is a shock to the body given the fact that the levels were increasing steadily. In addition to these chemical changes, the social and psychological changes of having a baby create an increased risk of depression.