Baby Blues vs Postpartum Depression: The Difference

Have you just given birth and are overwhelmed with emotions? Well… do you find yourself crying a lot more than you usually would, or worrying if you would be a good parent to your new little one? What is normal, and what isn’t — what are baby blues and how can you discern that from postpartum depression? If you’re not sure where to go for help, or are in need of help please know that we are here for you!

It’s May Mental Health Awareness Month, and I thought it would be best to use this opportunity to create a little more normalcy around mental health — especially with the struggles you might face postpartum, so that all mommies and daddies out there have the healthiest and happiest parenthood journeys! In this video, I go in depth into what baby blues are and how you can determine when you’ve crossed over to a postpartum depression experience.

It is essential for those in our community to be aware of the symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) and how to differentiate that from the initial baby blues — if you refer to the diagram below, there is a significant overlap in symptoms and this might sometimes blur the lines between the two. Just remember that with PPD, you will experience a more intense version of the baby blues which will extend beyond the fourteen days after delivery.

It is often those closest to the mother undergoing such an experience that notices these emotional patterns, and so we hope that this mini resource brings you a step closer to finding the solution you need.

“When I was in the midst of everything, I could never imagine myself on the other side of it. Now, I’m able to look at September, October, November, December, and shake my head at how dark and crazy of a period it was. Unfortunately, you can only really do that when you’re out of it. There’s no other way to explain it. And there’s no better feeling than being out of it.”

— Chrissy Teigen