Depression – You feel low, unhappy and wretched for much or all of the time. You may feel worse at particular times of the day like mornings or evenings. Occasional good days give you hope but they are followed by bad days which make you despair.

Irritable signs – You may get irritable with other children, occasionally, with your baby, but most often with your partner. He or she may well not understand what is happening.

Tired signs – All new mothers get pretty weary, but depression can make you feel so utterly exhausted that you feel physically ill.

Sleeplessness signs – Even though you are tired, you can’t fall asleep. You wake at the crack of dawn even if your partner has fed the baby overnight.
Not Hungry signs – You lose your appetite and forget to eat, which can make you feel irritable and run down. Some people eat for comfort and then feel bad about putting on weight.

Unable to enjoy anything – You find that you can’t enjoy or be interested in anything. Listed below are some common issues…

Sex – Your partner may want the comfort and intimacy of sex again – but you’re just not interested. Of course, there are other reasons to lose interest in sex after having a baby – it may be painful, you may be too tired or you may be just trying to adjust to the new situation – but PND will take away any desire or enthusiasm. If your partner does not understand this, they may feel rejected.

Unable to cope – PND can make you feel that you have no time, can’t do anything well and that you can’t do anything about it. You may find it hard to organise a routine with your baby.

Guilty – Depression changes your thinking and makes you see things negatively. You may feel guilty, useless or that you are responsible for feeling like this.

Anxious – You may worry so much that your baby might scream, or choke, or be harmed in some way that you are afraid to be alone with him or her. Instead of feeling close to your baby, you may feel detached. You can’t work out what your baby is feeling or what your baby needs. Even if you have strong loving feelings for your baby, you can still feel anxious. Most new mothers worry about their baby’s health, but PND can make this overwhelming. You may find that you need reassurance all of the time from your partner, the health visitor, the GP, your family or a neighbour. You may feel panicky – your pulse races, your heart thumps and you may feel that you have heart disease or are on the brink of a stroke. You may wonder if you have some dreadful illness, or if you will ever have any energy again. The fear of being left alone with all of this can cause even the most capable person to cling desperately to their partner, not wanting to be left alone.