There are some women who, after giving birth, enter into a state of unexplainable sadness . Irritability appears, emotional decay, sudden changes in mood, tiredness and, in some cases, spontaneous crying.

This phenomenon does not always have to be a case of postpartum depression ; it could also be something known as baby blues and which, in fact, is very common.

What is the baby blues?

The baby blues is a psychological phenomenon that involves the entry into a state of sadness that can last between a few hours, a few days and two weeks after birth. It is considered to be especially frequent in new mothers , and its symptoms do not become so intense as to interfere significantly with the activities of the person who has given birth.

This means that although the baby blues is annoying and generates discomfort (or, rather, it is the discomfort itself) it does not make women incapable of carrying out their daily tasks and does not detract from their autonomy .

The baby blues is, more than anything, a phenomenon that affects a person’s subjectivity, and that beyond its own discomfort, does not have very clear and evident objective manifestations. From a clinical point of view, it is not very important .

In short, the baby blues is not a psychological disorder, but a set of symptoms that are not very intense and that, added together, do not compromise the mother’s mental health.

How does it manifest itself?

Among the most common symptoms of the baby blues are these:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Sleep problems
  • Irritability
  • Feeling of discomfort and sadness in general
  • Fatigue
  • Spontaneous crying whose causes are difficult to determine

The causes of the baby blues

What is the reason for the appearance of the baby blues? It’s not easy to know, but specialists attribute it to the sudden hormonal changes that occur in the mother after birth. Specifically, the hormones and substances involved in these changes are estrogen , serotonin , progesterone and prolactin .

However, not all causes are isolated within the mother’s biology: the way she is affected by the environment also produces important effects . In particular, the need to attend to the baby during the first two weeks produces an important physical and psychological wear and tear that often results in a lack of sleep.

In turn, the effects produced by the environment on the body are mixed with the hormonal changes generated by childbirth, and from that neurochemical whirlwind the baby blues is born.

The mild version of postpartum depression

It is very common to confuse the baby blues with postpartum depression, since both phenomena are related to sadness . However, the differences between both phenomena are remarkable . In fact, baby blues is sometimes called postpartum sadness to differentiate it from this other one.

The baby blues is a set of symptoms, while postpartum depression is a threat to mental health and is the subject of clinical psychological and psychiatric treatment that sometimes requires the use of psychotropic drugs. In addition, the former disappears on its own, but the latter must be treated by health specialists.

In addition, while the baby blues can last a maximum of two weeks and can only appear during the following days after birth, postpartum depression can last a year and appear at an earlier stage, weeks after the time of birth.

On the other hand, the baby blues is much more frequent, since can appear in up to 80% of birth cases , while postpartum depression in any of its intensity degrees does not exceed 15%.

Dealing with the Baby Blues

To know how to manage the baby blues, it is advisable to follow these simple guidelines:

Understand that it is a hormonal thing

It is useless to try to rationalize your emotions and your discomfort, blaming others. It is preferable to keep in mind that this discomfort is due to a very common hormonal imbalance, and that it will happen on its own.

Find moments to rest

If you can have the opportunity to rest and sleep well , much of the discomfort will go away soon.

Follows routines

Don’t expose yourself to very chaotic and unpredictable behavioural dynamics: follow well-defined habits to make it easier for your hormone levels to rebalance.

Accept help from others

Having a birth is not easy , and the others know it. The baby blues is just one of many tests of that. That is why it is a good idea to accept help from those who are in a position to help with the tasks.