What are the symptoms of postnatal depression?

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What are the symptoms of postnatal depression?

The symptoms are similar to those that occur with depression at any other time. They usually include one or more of the following:

Low mood for all of the time, or most of the time, for a week or more. The low mood tends to be worse first thing in the morning, but not always.
Not really enjoying anything. Lack of interest in yourself and your baby.
Often feeling tearful.
Feeling irritable a lot of the time.
Feelings of guilt, rejection, or inadequacy.
Poor concentration (like forgetting or losing things).
You may also get thoughts about harming your baby. Around half the women with postnatal depression get these thoughts. If things are very bad you may get ideas of harming or killing yourself. The reality is that only in very rare cases is anyone harmed.

In addition, you may also have: less energy, disturbed sleep, poor appetite, and a reduced sex drive. However, these are common and normal for a while after childbirth, and on their own may not mean that you are depressed.

Why should you do anything about postnatal depression?

If you do nothing about the depression, or do not even know that you are depressed, you are likely to get better anyway in 3-6 months (like other types of depression). However, about 1 in 4 affected mothers are still depressed on the child's first birthday. There are a number of reasons to get help.

To help yourself get better quickly. You need not feel like this. It is not a sign of weakness to admit that you are depressed.
To help your partner or family. If you are depressed, it can cause problems in your relationships, your job, and life in general.
To help your child (or children). If you are depressed, your relationship with your baby may not be as good as it could be. You may not give as much attention to your baby as you would like to. As a result, your baby's development may not be as quick as it might be. There is evidence to suggest that developmental problems that occur in the baby because of a mothers depression may persist in some cases even when the mother has recovered.

Many women are able to 'hide' their postnatal depression. They care for their baby perfectly well, and appear 'fine' to those around them. However, they suffer the condition as an internal misery. Do seek help if you are like this.