09/19/2026
When someone asks me what postpartum felt like… this picture. 💔
Like you’re drowning while simultaneously trying to keep this tiny human you love more than anything above water.
Postpartum depression isn’t always just crying or “feeling sad.” It can look like anxiety, anger, irritability, guilt, hopelessness, withdrawing from people you love, feeling disconnected from your baby, losing interest in things you once enjoyed, changes in eating or sleeping, or feeling completely overwhelmed by everyday life.
And it’s more common than people realize.
About 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth report symptoms of postpartum depression.
It’s also different from the “baby blues.” Baby blues usually improve within days or a couple of weeks. Postpartum depression is more intense, lasts up to 5 years, can interfere with daily life, and symptoms can appear months after giving birth, not necessarily immediately.
Some women suffer quietly because motherhood is supposed to be the “happiest time of your life.” You can love your baby with every ounce of your being and still be struggling to keep your own head above water.
Both things can be true.
That’s why we need to talk about maternal mental health without shame. Ask the new mama how she is doing. Check again after the newborn excitement wears off. Keep checking months later. Sometimes she doesn’t need advice, she needs someone to notice that she’s drowning too.
And if this picture feels a little too familiar right now, please tell someone. Postpartum depression is treatable. In the U.S., the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is available by calling or texting 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). If you’re in immediate crisis or thinking about harming yourself or your baby, call/text 988 or seek emergency care.
Check on the Mama's in your life!
Mamas, what is something you wish someone had told you about postpartum before you experienced it? ❤️🩹