Don't isolate yourself. The more you're alone, the worse it gets. Teresa Delawter, M.D., a psychiatrist in Manassas, Virginia, agrees. A lot of women will feel great relief by going back to work or getting back to a normal schedule. When a woman's symptoms last for more than two weeks or get more severe, however, it's not just the baby blues anymore.
Postpartum depression can develop anywhere from two weeks to four months after delivery.
Warning signs include excessive worry or fatigue, feelings of guilt, anxiety mixed with depression, loss of appetite, decreased concentration, fleeting or current thoughts of death, alcohol or drug abuse, or lack of motivation to do things you used to enjoy. When this happens, Delawter says, get help immediately. She recommends a psychiatric evaluation and antidepressant medication. Deveny, however, believes medication should be a last resort. See a counselor or psychologist before medication.