It’s supposed to be the happiest time of your life. The birth is supposed to be magical. You’re supposed to be glowing with glee in all of your social media posts. The truth is, it’s not always quite like that. Hardly anyone talks about this for some reason, but in the first week after giving birth many women get the ‘baby blues’. It’s not a new genre of music, it has to do with levels of your progesterone hormone plummeting after birth. Out of nowhere, it can feel like a switch has been flipped and before you know it you’re crying  – pretty much anything can set you off. You might also feel a bit irritable and anxious.

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Postnatal depression is quite common, affecting more than one in ten women. Unlike the baby blues, postnatal depression doesn’t necessarily begin straight after the baby arrives. It can start in the first few days or it can develop as late as the baby’s first birthday.

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If you think you might be depressed you should seek medical help right away. Your symptoms could last months or even get worse which could end up affecting the baby and the rest of your family too.

With the right support, most people make a full recovery.

Symptoms of postnatal depression

If you thought you had been experiencing the baby blues but the symptoms have lasted longer or started later, you could be going through postnatal depression.

Some postnatal depression symptoms include:

• a low mood and persistent feeling of sadness a loss of interest in the wider world – finding it hard to enjoy things

• low energy – feeling tired all the time

• having trouble sleeping at night and feeling sleepy during the day

• not being able to bond with your baby

• withdrawing from contact with other people

• problems concentrating and making decisions

• frightening thoughts – for example, about hurting your baby

• general anxiety