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. Instead, you may feel tired all the time, guilty, and even that other mothers are coping better due to some personal shortcoming of your own. Many women experience these feelings, and most are at a loss to understand why this should happen at a time when their anticipation and expectations are so high. If your birth experience was not what you had hoped for, feelings of resentment and anger can build up and be a factor in triggering depression.