Glossary

Term · Postpartum: Mind

baby blues

Also: baby blues syndrome, the blues

A short stretch of mood swings, tears, and worry that many mothers have in the first two weeks after birth. It usually fades on its own.

In plain words

Baby blues is the name for the mood changes many mothers feel in the days after birth. You might cry for no clear reason, feel sensitive or overwhelmed, or feel anxious about the baby. These feelings often peak around days three to five, when milk comes in and hormone levels drop sharply. Baby blues is common. Estimates vary widely, and figures of 50 to 80 percent are often quoted. For most mothers the feelings lift within about two weeks. Baby blues is not the same as . Postpartum depression lasts longer, feels heavier, and can make daily life hard to manage. Clinicians tell the two apart by how long symptoms last and how severe they are. Symptoms that continue past two weeks are the ones clinicians ask about most closely.

The deeper version

Baby blues, also called or maternity blues, is a transient mood disturbance with onset in the first few days after delivery. Prevalence estimates vary widely, commonly quoted as 50 to 80 percent, with symptoms peaking around days three to five and usually resolving by about day 14. Proposed mechanisms include the abrupt withdrawal of estrogen and progesterone after delivery, sleep loss, and the physical stress of birth; none is established as causal. Diagnosis is made by excluding other conditions and by duration. Symptoms that persist beyond two weeks, or that impair function, warrant evaluation for postpartum depression. ACOG recommends screening for at routine postpartum visits using instruments such as the . Some researchers argue the blues and depression sit on one continuum, a question that remains unresolved.

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Sources

  • O'Hara MW, Swain AM — Rates and risk of postpartum depression: a meta-analysis. International Review of Psychiatry, 1996
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Committee Opinion No. 757: Screening for Perinatal Depression, 2018

The Mothership Topic Wiki is general information for mothers and the people who care for them. It is not medical, legal, or mental-health advice and does not create a provider relationship. Experiences posted by members are their own. In an emergency call 911. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988.