What Is It? Postpartum refers to the period immediately after
childbirth. When a woman has significant symptoms of depression
during this period, she is said to have postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression is not the same as the "baby blues," a
much more common condition that affects as many as three-
quarters of new mothers. New moms often are emotionally
sensitive and tend to cry easily. The baby blues is
uncomfortable, but usually doesn't interfere with functioning as
a mother, and it almost always goes away within a few weeks.
Postpartum depression is a different matter. It affects up to
15% of new mothers. It may begin at any time in the first two to
three months after giving birth. The mother feels sad or
hopeless and sometimes guilty or worthless. She is unable to
concentrate and unable to take any interest in anything, even
the baby. In some cases, the mother may feel overwhelmed by the
baby's needs and become intensely anxious. This may lead to
persistent troubling thoughts or obsessions about th