It's natural to feel strong emotions when you're pregnant and just after you've had a baby. You may feel elated, or you may feel sad. Many women have the "baby blues" just after birth. They feel sad, impatient, or irritable. These feelings usually go away in a week or two. They don't always need to be treated by a doctor. For some women, feelings of sadness are much more intense. These intense feelings are called postpartum depression. Postpartum depression can be treated with medication and counseling.
This assessment asks you questions to help you figure out your risk for postpartum depression.
Check the statements below that apply to you:
You feel restless or irritable. You feel sad or depressed, or you cry a lot. You have no energy. You have headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations (your heart beats fast and feels like it's skipping beats), or hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing). You have trouble sleeping or are very tired, or both, but these problems are not related to caring for the baby. You have no appetite and have lost weight. You overeat and have gained weight. You have trouble focusing, remembering, or making decisions. You are overly worried about the baby. You have little or no interest in the baby. You feel worthless or guilty. You have no interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy, including sex. You are afraid of hurting your baby or yourself.
