Moments after Jenna Carberg gave birth to her daughter, doctors put the baby on her chest.
Warning: This article includes mention of suicide and may be distressing to some readers. Helplines are provided.
“I felt a disconnect right away,” she recalled.
At home, the Orlando, Florida, mum was exhausted and anxious and cried every day. She was eventually diagnosed with postpartum depression — a potentially dangerous condition that can fill a typically joyous time with deep despair.
The mood disorder has been on the rise. A 2024 study in the journal JAMA Network Open found that US rates more than doubled in just over a decade, climbing from 9.4% in 2010 to 19% in 2021, partly due to improved screening and diagnosis.
It can be hard to differentiate the disorder from the much milder and more common “baby blues” brought on by plummeting hormone levels. But recognising and treating postpartum depression is crucial, said obstetrician gynaecologist Dr Tiffany Moore Simas at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.
Mums who go untreated may have problems bonding with and caring for their babies. And they’re at increased risk of suicide.
“A healthy you will ultimately be important for a healthy baby,” Moore Simas said.
How to tell if postpartum sadness is more than baby blues
Baby blues affects about eight in 10 new mums, striking shortly after delivery.
“Mums will feel kind of more emotional than normal,” said Dr Jennifer Payne, an expert in reproductive psychiatry at the University of Virginia.
But the crying jags and feelings of sadness aren’t severe enough to interfere with normal life. Mums should still be able to care for themselves and their babies.
Screening tools can help discern if the problem is more serious. A commonly used 10-item questionnaire, often given at a postpartum check-up in the US, asks how often a mum has experienced feelings such as sadness, panic or worry. A high score points toward the need for further evaluation.
Experts say there’s no single cause of postpartum depression. Genetics, physical changes and emotional issues may contribute to it.
“We’re pretty sure that having a case of the baby blues doesn’t increase your risk of postpartum depression,” Payne said. “But it does seem that both conditions can develop in the same person.”
Signs of postpartum depression
If sadness lingers for more than two weeks, that’s one sign.
Others include intense feelings of despair, anxiety, loss of interest, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, low energy and decreased concentration and appetite. Mums may worry constantly about their babies, be unable to sleep, or stop showering for days.
They “feel negatively and badly about themselves. They’ll feel that they’re a bad mother. They might not feel attached to the baby very much,” Payne said.
They may even have thoughts of harming themselves.
Carberg, who gave birth to her daughter in 2016, had such thoughts a couple of times — once while driving with her daughter. She went to a psychiatric facility for a few days and did better for a while.
But she later had a severe breakdown. She sent text messages to her husband, Chris, saying she was sorry, then turned her phone off. Chris desperately tried to reach her, worried she’d hurt herself.
“She luckily went to the hospital ER,” he said.
Postpartum depression can be treated effectively
Ultimately, finding the right medication was the key to Jenna Carberg’s recovery.
“I felt like myself again,” she said after taking the stimulant Vyvanse.
Other medications include antidepressants such as Zoloft or Prozac, or Zurzuvae, the first pill approved for postpartum depression. Talk therapy is another common treatment, and experts also stress the importance of getting enough sleep and support from family and friends.
To help others, the Carbergs started an online information resource — postpartumdepression.org — to provide support and connect patients with professional help.
Doctors advise anyone who thinks they or a loved one may have postpartum depression to reach out to their primary care doctor or mental health provider.
If necessary, be persistent, said Dr Kerry Hudson, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Newport Women’s Health Services in Rhode Island. When she suffered postpartum depression two decades ago, she said, her doctor told her she was just an overstressed medical resident. She finally got help after breaking down in front of colleagues during a presentation.
After therapy and medications, Hudson went on to have a second child. So did the Carbergs. All are doing well.
“When we get people help, I think they can have a good future ahead of them,” Hudson said. “You don’t have to suffer in silence.”