Since I can’t reinforce this enough, I want to remind you (and ALL the doctors out there) that postpartum depression can arise any time in the first year after your baby is born.
Some moms recognize they have PPD pretty early on. For others, the symptoms may have started earlier but they didn’t realize they were signs of PPD, or chalked their feelings up to new mom exhaustion. For others, they feel they’ve been doing just fine, until the darkness slams into them later in that first year. And for others, depression symptoms only show up upon weaning. Everyone is different. The point is that if your baby is 8 months old or 12 months old, it doesn’t mean you can’t have postpartum depression. Many of my readers have believed this, or been told this (GAH!) by their doctors.
Emily from DesignHerMomma bravely shared her story on Babble this week on realizing that she has postpartum depression and anxiety at 8 months postpartum. I wanted to highlight her story here because it’s so important for people to realize the wide span of time during which PPD can occur. Here’s a portion of the story.
“I thought I was in the clear, until a couple months ago. Right around the 6 month postpartum mark, things began to change with me.
Unfortunately, without a shadow of a doubt, I am again suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety. I thought making it past the six month mark with no signs of PPD or PPA meant I was in probably the ‘clear’, but sadly it’s not the case for me.
Did you know postpartum depression and anxiety can strike at any time during the first year? I didn’t.”
Go read her story on Babble.
Photo credit: © c – Fotolia.com
About Katherine Stone
Katherine Stone
Such a great reminder! I was TEN MONTHS postpartum when it hit with my second child. I thought I was in the clear as well, but soon recognized all of the symptoms that led to my diagnosis with the first. At least this time around I was able to get the treatment I needed as soon as I knew what was going on…
I remain in treatment for PPD/PPA and my daughter will be two soon. This is a very good reminder that it doesn’t have to happen right away and, unfortunately, there’s no off-switch at a year, either.
This is so important to remember. It is absolutely sad that it’s not a commonly known fact. And not only do people not realize it can strike at any time in the first year, too many also think that it goes away or stops being PPD once your baby has their first birthday. A friend of mine was turned away from a PPD support group because it was past her baby’s first birthday and so it couldn’t still be PPD and thus they didn’t welcome her. These were other PPD mamas who were so uninformed and lacking in compassion… just another sign of exactly how far there still is to go in PPD awareness and education.
I went to a Dr. when my daughter was 9 months old and he told me it couldn’t possibly be PPD and that I had a personality disorder. Thankfully, I received better, competent help and am a happy, healthy mom now.