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Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 13 percent of women and is brought on by a change in hormone levels after childbirth. Being a new mom can be overwhelming and feelings of insecurity are normal. Unfortunately, for some women these feelings turn into extreme anxiety or sadness and can inhibit a woman’s ability to care for herself and her new baby.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a treatable medical illness that’s brought on by a change in hormone levels after childbirth. Affecting approximately 13 percent of women, PPD can cause extreme feelings of anxiety or sadness and can interfere with a woman’s ability to care for herself or her new baby.

PPD can develop anywhere from a few weeks to a year after delivery, but it’s most commonly diagnosed during the first three month after birth. For some women, PPD can be difficult to diagnose since many of the symptoms can be similar to the “baby blues” or other illnesses. It’s important to talk to your doctor at the first signs of sadness or depression to get properly diagnosed and discuss treatment options.

Without treatment, depression can have long-term consequences for you and your baby, including inadequate mother-child bonding. Without this special bond, research shows that children can later have behavioral problems and developmental delays.

There are several treatment strategies for postpartum depression. For many women, utilizing all of these strategies together brings them the most successful outcome.

Postpartum depression can occur in any woman after giving birth, or having a miscarriage or stillbirth. According to the American Psychological Association, an estimated 9% to 16% of women will experience postpartum depression.

PPD can sometimes be confused with the “baby blues” which affects up to 80% of mothers. Baby blues can cause women to experience feelings of worry, unhappiness or fatigue after having a baby. The difference is that these feelings are mild, usually only last a couple of weeks and go away on their own. PPD can cause extreme feelings of anxiety or sadness and can interfere with a woman’s ability to care for herself or her new baby. PPD can begin any time after childbirth, but women usually start feeling depressed one week to a month after delivery. For some women PPD can start slowly and then build for three to four months.