Mental health and postpartum depression

Symptoms can include persistent sadness, emptiness, irritability, guilt, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of enjoyment, sleep or appetite changes, poor concentration and feeling detached from the baby. Some parents feel overwhelmed by care tasks or find bonding difficult. Low sex drive may also occur, but it is not required for a diagnosis.

Postnatal depression can begin during pregnancy or at any point after birth, and it can affect a birth parent or a partner. It is more than a brief adjustment or ordinary tiredness when symptoms persist, interfere with functioning or feel increasingly hard to manage. It is not a personal failure and support can help.

Tell a trusted person and contact a doctor, midwife or mental health professional. Describe sleep, appetite, thoughts, anxiety, bonding and how safely you are managing daily care. Talking therapy, practical support, medication or a combination may be offered after discussing feeding, previous mental health conditions and preferences. Accept concrete help with meals, rest, appointments and baby care where available.

Seek urgent mental health help if you think about harming yourself or the baby, feel unable to keep either of you safe, hear or see things others do not, feel unusually energised with little need for sleep, or become severely confused or suspicious. Ask someone trusted to stay with you and contact emergency services or the nearest emergency department. Do not remain alone while waiting for help.

Could my symptoms be postnatal depression, anxiety, a physical problem or a severe postnatal mental health illness? What support is available locally? Which therapy or medicine fits my feeding plans, and how can we monitor my safety and recovery?