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Family and Friends - When something
is wrong
 Your
role
The
first few weeks
When
something is wrong
What
you can do for mom
What
you can do for yourself
Where
to get help
PPMD
Stories - New!
Books and websites
When something is wrong
Postpartum Blues
usually goes away within a couple of weeks. But sometimes
mom is just not back to her usual self. This is common. 1
in 5 mothers will have a postpartum mood disorder (PPMD).
There are different postpartum mood disorders like postpartum
depression or anxiety. Click here to
find out more about them.
Postpartum mood
disorders look different for different mothers
 You
may think she is doing fine: the house is clean, the baby
is well cared for, dinner is ready, she may even find time
and energy to exercise. Then, unexpectedly one day you find
her completely exhausted and despondent.
She
does not seem like herself; she does not want to take care
of herself, stays in the same clothes for days and can't
bother to even take a shower. She can barely move from the
couch or bed.
She
does not want to spend time with the baby. She can only
bring herself to take care of the baby's basic needs and
then passes him or her to someone else. When she spends
time with the baby she is not enjoying it.
She
always takes care of the baby herself. She does not trust
anyone to do anything with him or her. She is constantly
checking on the baby and is always worried about germs and
viruses.
She
gets angry at every little thing: you are helping out around
the house much more than usual but nothing you do is right
- dishes are not put away right, the laundry is folded badly,
and the baby's diaper is all wrong. Everyone feels they
have to tiptoe around her not to upset her again.
If you are worried about the new mom,
talk to her or your health care provider about getting her
some help or call your
local public health unit. There is lots of help
available for postpartum mood disorders.
Vary rarely a new mother will get
postpartum psychosis. This is an emergency. Mom needs help
right away if she
Talks
about planning on harming herself or the baby
Is hearing
or seeing things that are not there
Believes
people or things are going to harm her or the baby
Seems confused
and out of touch with reality
Don't wait. Get
help right away.
Call your doctor now
or
Go to your local hospital's emergency department or
Call a crisis intervention line
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