Perinatal Mood Disorders

PERINATAL MOOD DISORDERS

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Baby Blues Postpartum Depression Postpartum Anxiety

“Baby Blues” is a term used to describe the With postpartum depression, feelings of sadness and anxiety can be Approximately 6% of pregnant women and 10% of feelings of worry, unhappiness, and fatigue extreme and might interfere with a woman’s ability to care for herself or postpartum women develop anxiety. Sometimes that many women experience after having a her family. The condition occurs in nearly 15% of births. anxiety is experienced alone and sometimes in addition baby. Babies require a lot of care, so it’s to depression. normal for mothers to be worried about, or Symptoms: tired from, providing care. Baby blues, which - Insomnia Symptoms: affects up to 80% of mothers, includes feelings - Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions - Constant worry that are somewhat mild, last a week or two, - Feeling worthless, guilt or shame - Feeling that something bad is going to happen and go away on their own. - Changes in appetite or weight - Racing thoughts - Overwhelming fatigue - Disturbances of sleep and appetite Symptoms: - Intense anger and irritability - Inability to sit still - Bouts of crying with no specific - Severe mood swings - Physical symptoms like dizziness, hot flashes, reason - Difficulty bonding with baby and nausea - Impatience, irritability, restlessness, - Lack of joy in life and anxiety - Withdrawal from family or friends Risk factors: - Occurs during the immediate first - Loss of interest in sex - Personal or family history of anxiety three days after birth, temporary - Thoughts of harming self or baby - Previous perinatal depression or anxiety experience of mild depression - Recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation, plans or - Thyroid imbalance attempts Symptoms usually disappear, but some Postpartum Panic Disorder women who experience the baby blues are at Symptoms intensify gradually and can occur anytime up to a year after This is a form of anxiety with which the sufferer feels risk for developing postpartum depression. birth, usually within the first three months; a period of at least two very nervous and has recurring panic attacks. During weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest in almost all activities. panic attack, one may experience: - Shortness of breath Risk Factors: - Chest pain - Previous episodes of depression/mood disorders - Claustrophobia - Significant loss of life stress in the last year - Dizziness - An unplanned/unwanted pregnancy - Heart palpitations - Marital conflict - Numbness and tingling in extremities - Low social support - Genetic predisposition Attacks will seem to go in waves, but will pass and will - An infant with health problems not hurt individual. - Fatigue

Infants may appear: Passive or avoidant (little eye contact with their mother or caregiver) which mirrors the mother’s negative mood at home; Feeding difficulties, frequent illness, and babies who display passive or avoidant behaviors.

Healthy New Moms is a program of the Mental Health Association of Maryland with support from the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene – Behavioral Health Administration. For more information, please visit our website, www.healthynewmoms.org or call 443-901-1550, ext. 215 PERINATAL MOOD DISORDERS

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Postpartum Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum OCD affects approximately 3-5% of new Most often, this illness is caused by a real or perceived trauma This is a rare illness that occurs in approximately 1 mothers, and has symptoms similar to those seen in during delivery or postpartum. to 2 out of every 1,000 deliveries, or approximately others with OCD. In mothers with Perinatal/Postpartum .1% of births. The onset of Postpartum Psychosis is OCD, the focus of the obsessions is often on the fear of Traumas could include: usually sudden, most often within the first 2 weeks purposely harming the newborn, or somehow being - Prolapsed cord postpartum. responsible for accidental harm. Many women with - Unplanned C-section Perinatal/Postpartum OCD also have depression. - Use of vacuum extractor or forceps to deliver the baby Symptoms: - Baby going to NICU - Delusions or strange beliefs Symptoms: - Feeling of powerlessness, poor communication and/or lack - Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things - Obsessions, also called intrusive thoughts, of support and reassurance during the delivery that aren’t there) which are persistent, repetitive thoughts or - Women who have experienced a previous trauma, such as - Feeling very irritated mental images related to the baby. These rape or sexual abuse, are also at a higher risk for - Hyperactivity thoughts are very upsetting and not something experiencing postpartum PTSD - Decreased need for or inability to sleep the woman has ever experienced before - Women who have experienced a severe physical - Paranoia and suspiciousness - Compulsions, where the mother may do certain complication or injury related to pregnancy or childbirth, - Rapid mood swings things over and over again to reduce her fears such as severe postpartum hemorrhage, unexpected - Difficulty communicating at times and obsessions. This may include things like hysterectomy, severe preeclampsia/eclampsia, perineal needing to clean constantly, check things many trauma (3rd or 4th degree tear), or cardiac disease Risk factors: times, count or reorder things The most significant risk factors for postpartum - A sense of horror about the obsessions Symptoms: psychosis are a personal or family history of bipolar - Fear of being left alone with the infant - Intrusive re-experiencing of a past traumatic event (which in disorder, or a previous psychotic episode. - Hypervigilance in protecting the infant this case may have been the childbirth itself) - Mothers with postpartum OCD know that their - Flashbacks or nightmares thoughts are bizarre and are very unlikely to - Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, including Immediate treatment for a woman going through ever act on them thoughts, feelings, people, places and details of the event psychosis is imperative. - Persistent increased arousal (irritability, difficulty sleeping, Risk factors: hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response) - Personal or family history of anxiety or OCD - Anxiety and panic attacks - Feeling a sense of unreality and detachment

If you or someone you know is in crisis, or thinking of suicide, get help quickly. 24-hour hotline in Maryland - 1-800-422-0009

If you suspect you are experiencing a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, reach out. You are not alone. Talk to someone.

Visit www.healthynewmoms.org for information on local resources including support groups, insurance information and where to go for help.