Each May, during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, we shine a light on the emotional experiences of birthing people and their families. While bringing a new baby into the world is often portrayed as joyful and magical, the reality is far more complex. For many new parents, the postpartum period is marked by a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges—and they are more common than you might think.
One of the most important things to understand? It’s more than just the “baby blues.”
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What Are the Baby Blues?
The baby blues affect up to 80% of new parents. They typically show up within the first week after birth and may include:
• Mood swings
• Tearfulness
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Feeling overwhelmed
These symptoms are usually short-lived and resolve on their own within two weeks without clinical intervention. They’re caused by a sudden drop in hormones after birth, sleep deprivation, and the emotional adjustment to a major life transition.
But when those feelings don’t go away—or they intensify—it might be something more serious: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, or PMADs.
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What Are PMADs?
PMADs is an umbrella term for emotional disorders that occur during pregnancy (perinatal) and after childbirth (postpartum). They can affect anyone—birthing parents, partners, adoptive parents, and surrogates—and they don’t discriminate based on background, education, or lifestyle.
Types of PMADs include:
1. Postpartum Depression (PPD)
• Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or numbness
• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
• Difficulty bonding with your baby
• Thoughts of guilt, shame, or inadequacy
2. Postpartum Anxiety (PPA)
• Excessive worry that doesn’t ease up
• Racing thoughts or panic attacks
• Constant fear something bad will happen to the baby
• Physical symptoms like nausea or rapid heartbeat
3. Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (PPOCD)
• Intrusive, unwanted thoughts (often about harm coming to the baby)
• Compulsive behaviors like checking, cleaning, or mental rituals
• High anxiety and distress, despite knowing the thoughts are irrational
4. Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PPTSD)
• Often related to a traumatic birth experience
• Flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance
• Avoidance of medical settings or reminders of the trauma
5. Postpartum Bipolar Disorder
• Periods of extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression)
• Impulsivity, racing thoughts, risky behaviors during manic phases
• Requires immediate medical attention and support
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You Are Not Alone—and It’s Not Your Fault
One in 5 to 7 birthing people will experience a PMAD. These are real medical conditions, not personal failures or signs of weakness. And yet, stigma and shame often prevent people from seeking help.
What makes PMADs harder to recognize is that new parents are often praised for “pushing through” or sacrificing sleep and self-care. But struggling in silence helps no one—least of all you or your baby.
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Getting Help: What You Can Do
• Talk to someone you trust. Share how you’re really feeling with a partner, friend, doula, or therapist.
• Seek professional support. Therapists trained in perinatal mental health can offer safe, compassionate care tailored to this stage of life.
• Ask your healthcare provider for a screening. Tools like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) can help identify PMADs early.
• Build a support team. Include doulas, therapists, peer groups, and supportive loved ones.
• Remember: healing is possible. With the right support, recovery from PMADs is not only possible—it’s expected.
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You Deserve to Feel Better
Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, or somewhere in between, know this: You don’t have to do this alone. Perinatal mental health matters—your mental health matters—and reaching out for support is an act of courage and care.
If you’re not sure where to begin, consider starting with a conversation. As both a perinatal therapist and a doula, I’m here to hold space, provide support, and walk alongside you—wherever you are in your journey
