Postpartum, aka peripartum, refers to the time soon after childbirth. In this relatively short period your body is tasked with physically recovering from the actual childbirth and adjusting to consequential hormone changes.
So much goes on with your body after childbirth, but the one symptom that receives a lot of attention is depression. So let’s start with baby blues and postpartum depression.
During pregnancy, the amount of circulating estrogen and progesterone hormones significantly increases. Right after childbirth they’ll rapidly drop back to their normal levels. Female hormone fluctuations do affect mood and this brisk change may trigger symptoms of depression.
Baby blues is the oscillating feeling of happiness and sadness. This mild depression is completely normal so long as this up and down mood state only lasts for a week or so. Chalk it up to “baby blues” caused by hormone fluctuation and move on.
If after a couple of weeks, you continue to feel you’re out of sorts, then you may have postpartum depression. Postpartum depression symptoms involve:
- fatigue
- anxiousness
- restlessness
- worthlessness
- incessant worrying
Unlike the baby blues, signs of postpartum depression don’t subside quickly.
You can develop something that’s far more serious, known as postpartum psychosis. Signs of this very rare mental illness usually begins 1 to 3 months after childbirth. Postpartum psychosis symptoms may include:
- angry
- frantic
- agitated
- paranoid
- insomnia
- delusions
- irrational guilt
- hallucinations
- loss of appetite
- lost touch with reality
Postpartum psychosis requires prompt treatment.
Hormone changes can have a significant impact on your health. And another group of hormones that may drop after giving birth are those produced by your thyroid. Postpartum thyroiditis, which is thyroid gland inflammation, may occur.
Low thyroid hormone levels can cause symptoms of depression as well. Symptoms of thyroid hormonal decrease may include:
- fatigue
- irritability
- weight gain
- sleep problems
- concentration issues
- decreased interest in stuff
After birth you’ll likely experience many physical symptoms that’ll need managing. Here’s some of the symptoms your can expect postpartum:
- hair loss
- weight loss
- constipation
- hemorrhoids
- sore breasts
- leaky nipples
- uterine prolapse
- legs, feet edema
- irregular bleeding, spotting
- vaginal soreness, vaginal discharge
- episiotomy, vaginal tear wound healing
- contractions ~ similar to menstrual cramps
- skin changes ~ red spots on face, stretch marks
- urination issues ~ burning urination, frequent urge to urinate, urine leakage
Postpartum infections are a concern, so use sanitary napkins rather than tampons.
Endometritis is the most common infection after childbirth. If you have a fever, your abdomen is tender or your discharge has a foul odor, these symptoms may indicate a uterine infection.
Also, be on the look out for a skin infection and urinary tract infection too. You’ll typically feel some postpartum pain symptoms, so monitor any open skin areas carefully for signs of infection.
Postpartum hemorrhage is a formidable after childbirth complication. After childbirth your uterus normally continues to contract to help compress the bleeding vessels where your baby’s placenta was attached. If your uterus fails to contract strong enough, these bleeding vessels can cause you to hemorrhage.
The most common symptoms of postpartum hemorrhage are:
- increased heart rate
- pass large blood clots
- decreased blood pressure
- excessive vaginal bleeding
- drop in red blood cell count
- vaginal & perineal area swelling & pain
Excessive and rapid blood loss can cause shock and lead to death if not treated promptly.
You will pass some blood and blood clots. Yet, whenever in postpartum doubt, give your health care provider a shout.