Postnatal Depression - you are not alone.

Up to 1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads will experience perinatal anxiety and/or depression. Having a baby is life-changing. It can deliver a lot of love, joy and fulfilment but it can also create demands and responsibilities that feel relentless, difficult and scary.

Sometimes, parents have difficulty adjusting to the many physical, emotional, psychological and social challenges of parenting. We know that everyone experiences symptoms of perinatal anxiety and depression differently. The way it affects you can depend on a range of factors. Your own physical, emotional and mental make-up and stressful external situations may combine to increase the risk of you developing symptoms of perinatal anxiety and/or depression.

Perinatal anxiety and depression can be mild, moderate or severe. The symptoms can begin suddenly after birth or gradually in the weeks and months after. The combination and severity of symptoms will be different for every parent.

Anxiety Symptoms:

Changes with your mood:

• Persistent generalised worry, often focused on the health or wellbeing of your baby

• Feeling nervous, on edge, stressed and panicky

• Abrupt mood swings, easily irritated

• Feelings of dread or impending doom

• Excessive fears about life with your baby and your identity as a parent

• Racing thoughts, thinking about all the ‘what if’s’ (catastrophising)

• Developing obsessive or compulsive thoughts

• Intrusive thoughts

• Feeling isolated, scared and lonely even around loved ones

Changes with your behaviour:

• Panic attacks (racing heart, chest pain, breathless, shaking - like you might pass out)

• Easily startled, feeling scared for no good reason

• Disrupted sleep patterns

• Elevated breathing and heartrate, muscle tension

• Vertigo: feeling dizzy, faint, trembly

• Appetite changes

• Changes to libido

• Urges to self-harm

• Developing obsessive or compulsive behaviours (eg: excessive checking of baby’s breathing when they’re asleep, cleaning, endless internet searches related to infant health or other concerns)

Anxiety and Relationships may also be affected:

• Avoiding people or places that might trigger anxiety or a panic attack

• Worry about telling your postnatal care team what’s happening

• Withdrawing from friends and family

• Increased arguments with loved ones

Depression Symptoms:

Changes with your mood:

• Feeling sad, low, hopeless, frequent crying

• Difficulty with focus, concentration or memory, ‘brain fog’

• Feeling disconnected from your baby and loved ones

• Abrupt mood swings

• Angry, frustrated, easily irritated

• Feeling worthless, ashamed, critical self-talk

• Feeling isolated and lonely even around others

• Thoughts of death or suicide

Changes with your behaviour:

• Lacking energy or motivation

• Persistent fatigue

• Disrupted sleep patterns

• Appetite changes

• Changes to libido

• Engaging in risk-taking behaviour (eg substance use, overspending)

• Urges to self-harm

Changes with your Relationships:

• Withdrawing from friends and family

• Increased arguments with loved ones

• Little or no interest in daily activities that usually bring joy (time with baby, partner or friends, exercise, eating, career, study or hobbies)

Asking for Help

Many people have trouble asking for help. They may feel shame because they are not coping with their new baby, or guilt because they feel frustrated and resentful. Getting the right help from a health professional early on leads to a faster recovery.

If you’re a new parent or expecting a baby, and you’re worried about how you’re feeling, then talking to your doctor can be a good place to start.

There are many different services and health professionals that can help. If you are concerned about yourself or your partner or loved one, your GP is often a good place to start. They should be able to give you non-judgemental support, assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care and treatment. They can also refer you to specialists such as a counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.

PANDA - Support that’s always there for you and your family.

Mother’s Helpers - Call 0800 002 717. Mothers' Helpers is a charity that provides support and services to women who are at-risk of or have developed postnatal depression. The majority of mothers attending the courses have fully recovered from PND.

PADA - Phone (+64) 04 461 6318. PADA was formerly the Perinatal Mental Health New Zealand Trust (PMHNZ). PADA aims to champion awareness and facilitate best practice in perinatal mental health and wellbeing to ensure all families have access to appropriate information and support.