Everything was fine until recently, when I started feeling terrible. Everything makes me cry. I can't sleep or eat.
Birth is an extraordinary yet everyday event.
The period afterwards can be full of confusion, anxiety, and such an immense feeling of everything having changed that it is no surprise to find that research has shown that women are often depressed in the time following birth. This is very common and may have something to do with hormone changes or feelings of vulnerability in a hospital environment. Postnatal depression is different than the baby blues, however. It can occur at any time up to about two years after the birth. Looking after a baby or young child can be very stressful, and you may not feel as content and joyous in this new role as you were expecting.