Women may experience a full spectrum of emotions in the months after giving birth. While some emotional experiences are normal, others are symptoms of a more serious problem.

Psychotherapist and pregnancy/postpartum mood disorder specialist Rose Eichenhofer suggests the following guidelines for knowing when you should be concerned.

“Normal” emotional experiences during pregnancy and postpartum:

* Tearfulness – often for no reason, but usually not all day
* Oversensitivity
* Anxiety – worried about the increasing responsibilities of motherhood, etc.
* Irritability
* Fatigue, lack of energy

Possible symptoms of postpartum depression/anxiety:

* “Something is not right”
* Irritability
* Feeling overwhelmed
* Depressed, hopeless mood
* Unexplained anger
* Difficulty sleeping, even when tired
* Episodes of intense anxiety and worry
* Agitation
* Excessive guilt
* Difficulty bonding with baby
* Disturbing, intrusive, or persistent thoughts, images, or nightmares – often about the baby
* Excessive worry that harm will come to the baby
* Suicidal thoughts or beliefs that one’s family would be better off without you

Symptoms of severe postpartum depression/psychosis (immediate medical attention is needed):

* Severe insomnia, or refusal of food
* Hallucinations (e.g. seeing someone else’s face instead of baby’s face)
* Delusions (e.g. baby is possessed by a demon)
* Rapid mood swings
* Woman may not recognize that actions/thoughts are unhealthy
* Suicidal thoughts or beliefs that she or baby should die

If you or a loved one experiences any of the symptoms listed above, it is good to talk to your doctor. Monitoring your emotional health during the childbearing years is just as important as monitoring your physical health. The more frequent or intense symptoms you have, the more necessary it is to contact your healthcare professional.