Life is changing dramatically with the arrival on the world of a child. Although it is normal to show different intensity of stress, negative emotions, panic, new mothers usually hide these things from friends and even family members.

Most new mothers are afraid that they will not be good mothers, will not be able to rise to the height of what is required of them. Also fear that others might know about these feelings of them. In the vast majority of new mothers will refuse to seek help because they can not properly assess how much of the experience is normal and how much is not.

The most significant symptoms of postpartum depression are fatigue, frequent changes of state (joy-sadness), irritability and lack of memory or power of concentration, anxiety, unrealistic sense of need to be perfect mom. All these are normal for 48 hours after birth and tend to fade and disappear within about two weeks. This is the time required for the body to balance and be stabilized from hormonal fluctuations caused by child birth.

But what happens if the symptoms are severe and last more than two weeks? If you add depression, feelings of vulnerability, the inability or fear of not fulfilling the mother and wife, lack of interest in their child or person? Can we talk about mental illness? No. These symptoms are common for 10% -17% of new mothers.

Irrational fears, panic attacks, obsession of cleanliness and germs, afraid that will not prevent a dangerous situation for the child, however indicate a severe post natal depression.

But what about women who "hear voices" that tell them to hurt themselves or the child? People saying they know that infants are demonic?

They suffer from a worse disease, postpartum psychosis. Fortunately, they are rare, about 1-2 in a thousand. These women are accusing visual or auditory hallucinations, which are very dangerous. These women need care and careful monitoring in a specialized care unit, their children must be cared for by other people, at least for a while.

Postpartum depression in a mother can affect her baby. It can cause the baby to have: problems with mother-child bonding, delays in language development, behavior problems and other problems.

If a mother is concerned about the future of the child and if concerns about his feelings and experience, should be regarded as a normal mother and encouraged to be honest, the symptoms are treated and help is at hand in the person of a practitioner. Because all moms deserve the chance to enjoy their life and their children and all children deserve the chance to have a healthy mom.