A New Beginning

POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS Postpartum psychosis is a very rare condition that requires immediate intervention and professional help. Symptoms usually start within 3 to 14 days after childbirth, may vary, and can change quickly. The affected parent may not experience all of the symptoms.

Emotional Changes

Symptoms of postpartum psychosis may include:

• Extreme confusion • Refusal to eat • Agitation

• Rapid or nonsense speech • Delusions and hallucinations • Bizarre behavior and disorientation • Thinking about harming yourself or others • Forgetting how to do things you have previously done • Having a lot of energy, racing thoughts, and not sleeping • Having strange feelings, like something is crawling on you • Hearing or seeing things no one else does • Feeling like someone else is controlling you • Believing your family would be better off without you

POSTPARTUM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Postpartum PTSD is the result of trauma or perceived trauma that occurred during childbirth. It happens most often to women who deliver prematurely or whose baby is in critical condition in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

When to call 911:

Symptoms of postpartum PTSD may include:

If a new parent has any of these symptoms, do not leave them alone with their baby. Call 911 or take them immediately to the nearest emergency room.

• Avoiding things that remind you about the traumatic event • Anxiety • Panic attacks • Irritability • Difficulty sleeping

• Flashbacks or nightmares about the childbirth experience • Re-experiencing or

reliving the past traumatic event

Speak up! If you are experiencing a crisis and need to talk to someone immediately, call 24/7:

Georgia Crisis Line ..........................................800.715.4225 Domestic Violence Crisis Hotline .........800.500.1119

National Suicide Prevention Line .................................................................... 988

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Chapter 3: Emotional Changes