What are the early signs of postpartum depression?
As summer of 2026 comes to a close and August brings on a new school year, a nation of parents find themselves rocked by the Lindsay Clancy case. Full swing in the first month of the school year, parents across the US are waking up, packing lunches, dressing small kids and teenagers, and saying goodbye as we load the people we love the most onto buses or drop them off in school lines. But for one mother, none of this is occurring as it should. For one mother, the morning routine may never happen again.
As the Lindsay Clancy defense team comes to a close this week, the defense sought to prove that Clancy was experiencing postpartum psychosis, a mental disorder defined by periods of hallucination, delusions, and extreme confusion, that can come on rapidly, sometimes with little warning. Postpartum psychosis sometimes can start as postpartum depression, but not always. About 1-2 in 1000 mothers experience a version of postpartum psychosis. This is a large enough number to warrant more attention than it gets.
For 1 in 8 mothers who have experienced postpartum depression, we are horrified along with the nation, but also revisiting what it was like to feel the walls of our lives closing in, feeling trapped with no way out, and experiencing the overwhelming sadness that comes along with the period after giving birth.
Often with little support available, we somehow made it through the long, never-ending nights, the exhaustion from little sleep, the impending feelings of doom, the break from reality. Or maybe we are still in it; maybe you’re reading this as a new mother who needs to know if what she’s feeling is normal or if it’s something to address.
We hope that by going over the early signs of postpartum depression, we can help you know when it’s time to get help. Help is available now, through our therapist Carley.
Early Signs of Postpartum Depression
Feeling tired to the point of exhaustion, that’s accompanied by a feeling of sadness that never quite goes away. This is more than just feeling tired, which is normal for a new parent. This is a state of sadness that may have you crying, and feeling exhausted emotionally.
Anhedonia: you lose interest in the things that you previously enjoyed, and even lose interest or motivation in taking care of yourself and/or your baby. This state often accompanies depression. It may be that nothing is bringing you joy, or very little.
Your brain feels foggy, and you’re having trouble making decisions. Especially ones that came easily before. Your executive functioning is diminishing; it’s harder to decide on day to day things like what to have for dinner.
Your sleep patterns have changed. You can’t rest even when your child is resting. You find yourself wanting to sleep but unable.
Your eating habits have changed. You find it hard to nourish yourself as you should. You’re eating is becoming disordered or reduced.
You have thoughts of harming yourself or your child. This often is a sign that you may be edging into postpartum psychosis.
You feel trapped, and like there’s no way out of your situation. The walls feel as if they are closing in on you. There’s an illusion of being alone in your sorrow and pain.
You feel overwhelming anxiety and depression. You worry about yourself, your child, and the world in ways that feel unending. The sadness is consistent and unyielding.
If any of these are ringing true to you, it’s time to get help. We want to reiterate that it’s normal to experience tiredness, some sadness and some anxiety after pregnancy. It’s when the symptoms are ongoing, worsening, or not getting better. Symptoms with no relief, or no improvement, is when we cross the line from normal experience to one that needs outside help or intervention.
If you are a new mother and you are experiencing any of the early signs of postpartum depression, it’s best to get help now rather than later. Postpartum depression, in particular, is a lonely and isolating experience. As a new mother having this experience with a new child, it can feel as if you are all alone, through long nights, early mornings, and little support or rest. It’s important to know that help is available and that you are not alone as long as you reach out and schedule an appointment with a therapist who can help you.
From the team at The Cozy Couch Counseling.
