Massachusetts psychiatrist explains what postpartum depression is

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. FIVE ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH THIS MORNING. FEELING SAD AFTER HAVING A BABY. IT’S A DIFFICULT AND OFTEN UNEXPECTED EMOTION FOR MANY NEW MOMS TO MANAGE. HERE, WITH ADVICE IS DOCTOR NATALIE FELDMAN, A PSYCHIATRIST SPECIALIZING IN WOMEN’S HEALTH AT MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM. DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING. AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE REFER TO THIS CONDITION AS THE BABY BLUES. HOW DOES A NEW MOM KNOW WHETHER OR NOT SHE’S JUST FEELING TIRED AND OVERWHELMED? OR SHE DOES HAVE THE BABY BLUES OR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION? SO AS YOU SAID, THERE ARE REALLY THREE DIFFERENT CONDITIONS THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MOMS TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN WHETHER YOU NEED TO GET HELP OR WHETHER YOU NEED TO LEAN ON YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT. BABY BLUES, POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND NORMAL SADNESS ARE ALL DIFFERENT THINGS. THE BABY BLUES SPECIFICALLY, IS SOMETHING THAT WE SEE IN THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO POSTPARTUM. WHAT HAPPENS IS YOUR BODY IS GOING FROM PREGNANCY TO POSTPARTUM. IT’S A BIG CHANGE FOR YOUR LIFE, AND IT’S A BIG CHANGE FOR YOUR BODY. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE SEE THAT WOMEN CAN FEEL LIKE THEY’RE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF PREGNANCY, OR LIKE THEY’RE ABOUT TO GET THEIR PERIOD IN TERMS OF THEIR MOODS. SO PEOPLE MAY FEEL HAPPY ONE MINUTE AND THEN CRY FOR NO REASON, AND THEN FEEL ANGRY AT THEIR SPOUSE. THIS IS REALLY NORMAL. AS MANY AS 40% OF WOMEN GET THE BABY BLUES, AND WE DON’T KNOW OF ANY RISKS FROM IT. IT’LL GO AWAY ON ITS OWN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. IN CONTRAST, POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION DOESN’T FEEL LIKE YOUR MOOD IS UP ONE MINUTE AND DOWN THE NEXT. IT FEELS LIKE YOUR MOOD IS DOWN AND IT STAYS THERE FOR A LONG TIME. IF A MOM HAS BEEN FEELING SAD FOR MOST OF THE DAY, FOR A WEEK IN A ROW, THAT’S PROBABLY NOT THE BABY BLUES THAT COULD BE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. AND THAT’S A GOOD TIME TO GET SOME HELP. IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN THAT SO FAMILY MEMBERS KIND OF KNOW WHAT TO IDENTIFY, GIVEN THAT IS THERE DANGER OR A RISK FOR THE BABY? WITH BABY BLUES, WE’RE NOT AWARE OF ANY DANGER OR RISK FOR THE BABY. WITH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, THERE ARE SOME RISKS FOR BOTH MOM AND BABY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE SEE THAT’S REALLY SAD IS THAT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION CAN MAKE IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH THEIR BABIES. I SEE A LOT OF MOMS WHO FEEL VERY GUILTY ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING ELSE THEY CAN DO. I’M ALWAYS HAPPY TO REASSURE PEOPLE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IS A MEDICAL CONDITION. IF IT’S MAKING IT HARD TO FEEL CONNECTED WITH YOUR BABY, YOU’RE IN REALLY GOOD COMPANY AND THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP SUCH A LIFE CHANGE. WHAT DO NEW MOMS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING HELP? ONE REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING HELP IS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF HELP OUT THERE, AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN HELP YOU FEEL BETTER FAIRLY QUICKLY. ONE ORGANIZATION THAT I TALK ABOUT A LOT IS A NONPROFIT CALLED POSTPARTUM SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL. THEY’RE AT POSTPARTUM NET, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A HELPLINE FOR NEW MOMS AT. 1-888-944-4773. AND NEW MOMS CAN CALL AND SAY, I THINK I MIGHT NOT BE OKAY. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP? I THINK IT CAN ALSO BE DIFFICULT FOR A NEW MOM TO ADMIT THAT SHE’S FEELING THIS WAY. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR MAYBE A SPOUSE OR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS ON HOW THEY CAN TALK TO MOM ABOUT GETTING HELP? ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE TELL PEOPLE IS THIS IS A MEDICAL CONDITION. IF WE LOOK AT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AS MANY AS 1 IN 5 WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCED POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY. TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, IF YOU’RE WATCHING THIS, YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO’S HAD POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION OR POSTPARTUM ANXIETY. IF THERE’S A SPOUSE OR A FAMILY MEMBER WHO’S WORRIED ABOUT A NEW MOM, IT CAN HELP TO SAY TO THEM, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING THIS MEDICAL CONDITION. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE GET IT, AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN HELP. I WANT TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER. THAT IS VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. DOCTOR NATALIE FELDMAN, A PSYCHIATRIST SPECIALIZING IN WOMEN’S HEALTH AT MAS

Massachusetts psychiatrist explains what postpartum depression is

NewsCenter 5 spoke to Dr. Natalie Feldman, a women’s health psychiatrist at Mass. General Brigham, to talk about postpartum depression — a difficult and unexpected emotion that some new mothers feel after childbirth.

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

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