How To Know If A New Mother Has Baby Blues, Postpartum Depression Or Postpartum Psychosis

A woman who went through pregnancy, gave birth and is now taking care of her newborn baby, is going through a very stressful time. Many women experience baby blues after giving birth but some even experience postpartum depression and worse -- postpartum psychosis.

How do you recognize which one you are experiencing? Help Guide shared the different sets of symptoms for each condition to help women know exactly what they are dealing with.

Baby blues is the most common of the three. Women who are experiencing baby blues feel sad, moody and irritable. They also have problems falling to sleep and concentrating on tasks. Women with baby blues might also experience changes in their appetite.

Postpartum depression is a more severe problem than baby blues. Although it might look like baby blues at the start, postpartum depression lasts longer and has more serious symptoms as time goes by. These symptoms include lack of interest and negative feelings towards the baby; concern about hurting the baby; loss of pleasure, energy and motivation; feelings of being worthless; feeling guilty; excessive sleep; lack of sleep; suicidal thoughts and thoughts about death.

Postpartum psychosis is rare but much more severe than postpartum depression. This condition is considered as a medical emergency. Symptoms of postpartum psychosis are hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, confusion, moodiness, inability to eat and sleep, thoughts of infanticide or killing the baby.

"If the condition is left untreated, hallucinations and delusions may lead you to take actions that you would never consider if you were well," Baby Centre explained. "This could be taking your own life, or harming your baby."

Women and their family and friends need to be aware of the differences between baby blues, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Knowing the differences could mean life and death for both the baby and the mother.