Symptoms of Postnatal Depression:

Symptoms 

PPE

Baby Blues

Postnatal depression

Postpartum Psychosis

mood swings

feeling sad, anxious, overwhelmed

experience crying spells

loss of appetite 

sleep disturbances

hopelessness 

low self esteem

tiredness 

guilt

 eating disturbances

inability to be comforted

exhaustion

emptiness

social withdrawal

little or no energy

becoming easily frustrated

feeling inadequate in caring for baby

impaired speech and writing

spells of anger towards others

 increased anxiety or panic attacks

negative feelings toward the baby

lack of pleasure in all or most activities

decreased or significantly increased appetite 

low energy 

feeling withdrawn, socially isolated, or unconnected

feelings of worthlessness or guilt

intense agitation and irritability

difficulty concentrating or thinking

thoughts of death

thoughts of suicide (a suicide plan)

thoughts of harming baby or self

little or no interest in the baby

hallucinations and delusions

feeling confused and disoriented

 rapid mood swings

 attempts to harm self or baby

paranoia

bizarre behaviour

inability or refusal to eat or sleep

Symptoms: breaking it down 

Many of these symptoms will seem (to anyone who has been a mother)to be fairly standard behaviours and feelings of a tired mother experiencing broken sleep, who is learning to live with a new baby and the many changes in her life. The key to these symptoms is that they are identified from two weeks to months after the baby arrives, and they are noticeable because they are a significant change in the mother (from her “before” child state).