Not enough new mothers are warned about the hormone-influenced shifts that occur after giving birth. Prior to the arrival of your child, you may decorate their room and do all the paperwork for maternity leave. But have you done your homework on the “baby blues” or postpartum anxiety? Since 1 in 5 women will experience some degree of these issues, it makes sense to be prepared.
You see, welcoming a child into the world can feel like quite a paradox. It can bring you to new heights of joy. Simultaneously, you may find yourself dealing with high levels of stress, fear, exhaustion, and even detachment. Get ready to learn a little more.
What Is Postpartum Anxiety?

Just about every woman will have mood swings after childbirth. These are euphemistically called “the baby blues” and, after a week or two, will usually run their course. Postpartum anxiety, on the other hand, can emerge at any time during the first year of your new child’s life. Its symptoms are more pervasive and severe than standard baby blues.
Those signs may include racing and intrusive thoughts about your baby’s well-being and safety. In turn, this can escalate into irrational fears and worries that you feel you cannot control. Such a scenario typically results in you—the new mother—refusing to be separated from the baby. If you are not together, you may feel a powerful urge to check on them and control the situation to allow you to be with your baby.
Also, there will be classic anxiety symptoms, for example:
- Rapid heart rate
- Inability to focus
- Sweating and trembling
- Shortness of breath
- Digestive issues
- Unexplained muscle aches and tension
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbances
Why Postpartum Anxiety Is Often Overlooked in New Mothers
Think about it. After nine months of pregnancy—with all the stress, preparation, and discomfort that can cause—you bring home your bundle of joy, and your life changes forever. People are calling, texting, or showing up at your door. To call this overwhelming is a major understatement. Hence, when a new mom appears exhausted, anxious, and over-protective, it is often dismissed as “normal.”
Sadly, it’s not rare for women to be disbelieved by doctors and family members when they report symptoms. So, this is a factor, too. Of course, you’re stressed, they hear. What did you expect? Meanwhile, the mother is unvalidated and the important underlying causes go unaddressed.
The Main Causes of Postpartum Anxiety
This section can be summed up in two categories.
- Hormones: When a woman is pregnant, their hormones slowly shift in major ways. Then, after giving birth, these changes are rapidly reversed (including a large drop in estrogen and progesterone). Under such circumstances, it is virtually impossible to regulate your emotions—especially when you realize how much your life has changed.
- Life Changes: Life goes from 0 to 60 in a hurry. There are not enough hours to get everything done. At the same time, the exhausted new mother is learning how to care for a newborn while she is also adjusting to changes in how she feels and looks.
Of course, if the new mother has a personal or family history of anxiety disorders, this can increase the odds of postpartum anxiety rearing its ugly head.
Getting the Help You Need and Deserve
It’s highly recommended to not let postpartum anxiety run its course. It can start during pregnancy or emerge months later. The impact it has on your life may be correlated with how soon you ask for support. If you or someone you know is feeling extreme anxiety and stress about becoming a mother, reach out soon to get a conversation started about your options for women’s therapy.