Postpartum Mental Health: A Series

There is increasing awareness of postpartum depression.

Still, there is much less conversation about what postpartum distress can actually look like, or about experiences that may not meet criteria for a diagnosis, but are still having a significant impact on a person or family.

Postpartum distress does not always look like sadness.

It can also look like:

• rage

• irritability

• overstimulation

• resentment

• anxiety

• feeling disconnected

• wanting to escape

• feeling unlike yourself

Not every postpartum struggle meets criteria for a diagnosis.

That does not mean it is not affecting someone deeply.

For many people, postpartum mood challenges are experienced privately. There can be fear about what might happen if they are honest about how they are feeling.

They may fear being misunderstood, judged, seen as a bad parent, or worry that being honest could lead to their parenting being questioned.

That can make it even harder to reach out for support.

I’ve seen firsthand how confusing this period can be not only for new parents, but also for partners, families, friends, birth workers, and other support people.

Sometimes the people around someone can tell that something feels different, but they may not know what they are seeing or how to understand it.

Sometimes the person experiencing it does not know either.

That is part of why talking about the wider range of postpartum experiences matters.

Over the next several posts, I’ll be sharing more about forms of postpartum distress that often go unrecognized or unspoken.

Part 1: Postpartum rage
Part 2: Postpartum grief
Part 3: Postpartum anxiety
Part 4: Preparing for postpartum emotions

Most importantly, I hope other humans see this series and feel a little less alone in what they are experiencing.