What It Feels Like to Have Postpartum Blues
As complex, interesting, frustrating, talented, and everything in between as we may be, there is one thing all people have in common, and that’s the fact that we were all born of a woman and are all a miracle given to the world by God. The psalmist loudly proclaims: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalms 139:13-14, NIV There is likely no greater joy than the creation of a new life. It is something joyful, marvelous, and mysterious even though we know so much about how human beings are conceived and developed in utero. Though the process of carrying and giving birth to a child is often anxiety-inducing, not to mention painful, there is joy in the aftermath. Understanding postpartum blues Welcoming a child into the world is meant to be a joyful occasion – after all, a new human being is alive and among us. However, while that may be the experience of the majority, it’s not that way for everyone. Postpartum blues, which is another way of talking about the “baby blues” is a common problem that affects a lot of women. Baby blues affect anywhere between 50% and 75% of women after delivery, and they usually begin within the first 2-3 days after delivery and may last for up to two weeks. There are some similarities between the baby blues and postpartum depression; however, the symptoms of baby blues last about two weeks and are less intense than those of postpartum depression. Typically, the symptoms of baby blues will disappear on their own without treatment. With postpartum depression, the symptoms last weeks or months, and the symptoms are [...]
