Being a mom can make us feel ALL the feelings.
The highs, the lows, the in betweens.
The rushes of oxytocin when we snuggle our babies. The blood pumping cortisol that floods our body when we are scared or mad. And then there’s the feelings of, “well, this is kind of monotonous.”
But let’s talk about some of the symptoms of maternal mental health concerns that we don’t necessarily hear about all the time. There’s a very wide range of feelings that we can have, but the symptoms can range even more and some can even surprise us.
If you are having any of these symptoms and aren’t sure what to do, don’t hesitate to reach out to a loved one, your doctor, or us. Find support, be supported, and you will get well.
Let’s start with the list. This one here is not inclusive of EVERY symptom, but covers the main ones.
Anger, anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, mood swings, worry, panic attacks, fatigue, loss of appetite, restlessness, crying or irritability, lack of concentration or unwanted thoughts, depression or fear, weight gain or weight loss, insomnia, rumination or repeatedly going over thoughts, nightmares, loneliness and isolation.
Let’s talk about mood symptoms:
Anxiety and depression can have different mood symptoms, with constant worry and sadness respectively. BUT you can absolutely have both mental health concerns together. Many moms are diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and depression. Talk about a whirlwind of feelings.
Guilt. I could write an entire blog on it. Mom guilt is SO real and so common. The sooner you can let go of some of that guilt, whether it’s talking to your support system or seeing a therapist, the better.
Anger is one that I didn’t personally realize was a thing until I had my first son. I was so angry at this tiny baby that was helpless. (Cue the guilt, too.) Often times we are so overstimulated that our bodies don’t know how to respond anymore and we become angry. We aren’t an “angry mom”, we are just overstimulated.
Hopelessness is a big one. It seems like it’s NEVER going to get better. Talk to any mom who experienced a maternal mental illness and they will say they felt this. But I know, mama, it does get batter and you will feel more like yourself with support.
Let’s talk about physical symptoms:
Fatigue. Obviously. We are beyond exhausted, sleep deprived, constantly being needed. That would make ANY person fatigued.
BUT, on the flip side (and the very horrible flip side) is insomnia. You may be so fatigued but you can’t seem to fall asleep no matter what you do. (If this is you, please seek support from your doctor and therapist.)
And loss of appetite happens very often. In the time our body needs nutrition and nourishment the most, and we feel nauseas with just the thought of having to eat something. Do your best to eat whatever you can that will give you nourishment. Make a smoothie and suck it down fast. Your body needs fuel, mama!
Let’s talk about unwanted thoughts:
Intrusive thoughts. Scary thoughts. Unwanted thoughts. Almost every single mom will have these, and actually every person has at some point in their life has had an unwanted thought. But it’s the CONSTANT unwanted thoughts that determine a mental health concern. These thoughts that we know are terrible, that we are scared of, that cause us lots of distress, but that we would NEVER act on. (There’s the key mama. A true emergency is when these thoughts aren’t scary to you, which can signal postpartum psychosis.)
What I want you to take from this blog is that there are SO many ways you can feel during this time in your life. We sometimes don’t know that many other moms are having these same symptoms, and we aren’t alone. But let me remind you, we are here to support you.
Your symptoms will get better with help, and we are here to help.