Some women experience postpartum depression after c-section, whether due to feelings of anxiety about taking care of a new baby, lack of sleep, or a history of mental illness. Symptoms can include thoughts of suicide, anxiety or panic attacks, depression, and anger. If symptoms of postpartum depression after c-section persist for 2 weeks or more, or if they become more severe, treatment should be sought.
Postpartum Depression After C-Section: An Overview
In the first days after childbirth, about 8 out of 10 women will experience mood swings or mild
depression, often called the "baby blues." It is considered normal for women to feel the baby blues for about 3 to 10 days after childbirth. These feelings usually go away in a week or two, and don't need to be treated.
But if your blues last longer than 2 weeks, or are more severe, you may have
postpartum depression, which happens in about 10 to 15 out of 100 women.
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression After C-Section
With postpartum depression, women commonly experience:
- Strong feelings of depression, anger, doubt, guilt, or helplessness that seem to get worse over time
- An inability to care for themselves or their baby
- Change in appetite
- Anxiety or panic attacks
- Being intensely worried or concerned about the baby
- Having little or no interest in the baby
- Thoughts of suicide.
Causes of Postpartum Depression After C-Section
These feelings can happen for many reasons, including:
- Hormonal changes
- Anxiety about taking care of a new baby
- Exhaustion from labor and lack of sleep
- Feeling overwhelmed with life's circumstances
- Having little or no help during the first few days after giving birth
- An emotional letdown following the experience of childbirth
- Previous mental illness or depression.
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