MemorialCare - Your Guide to Postpartum and Newborn Care

EMOTIONAL CHANGES

Think you might be depressed? Take a short quiz. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a set of 10 screening questions that can tell you if you have symptoms that are common in people who experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy and for the first year after giving birth. Only a mental health professional can make a diagnosis. But you can share your score with your health care provider if you have any concerns.

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POSTPARTUM OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) Postpartum OCD is a type of anxiety disorder that can happen after the birth of a baby. It can involve things like obsessive handwashing or repeatedly checking on your newborn in response to all-consuming thoughts about their well-being. These thoughts are not based on reason. And in OCD, the obsessions and compulsions take up more than an hour a day. POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS Postpartum psychosis is a very rare condition that requires immediate intervention and professional help. If a new parent develops postpartum psychosis, the symptoms usually start within 3-14 days after the birth. Symptoms may vary, they can change quickly, and the affected parent may not experience all of the symptoms.

POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS WARNING SIGNS

If a new parent has any of these signs of postpartum psychosis, they should not be left alone with the baby. They should immediately be taken to the nearest emergency room. • Forgetting how to do things you have done in the past • Having a lot of energy, racing thoughts, and not sleeping • Having strange feelings, like something is crawling on you • Thoughts of self-harm or harming the family • Hearing or seeing things no one else does • Feeling like someone else is controlling you • Very rapid or nonsense speaking patterns • Feeling afraid and not liking how you feel • Agitation or confusion

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Your Guide to Postpartum and Newborn Care