How long does post partum depression last?

Q.How long does post partum depression last?

A.This will pass. I didn't have post-partum depression, but with my second baby, I didn't bond with her right away. That scared me, because I had been so instantly connected with my first, and here I was feeling like this newcomer wasn't my *real* baby, she was just some strange kid who came along and messed up my *real* baby's routines and didn't fit in at all. But that lasted at most a couple weeks, and then I started to feel like she'd always been mine, and I couldn't imagine life without her. You're hormonal, you're exhausted, and you have every reason to be emotional. Everything for months led up to the anticipated birth, and that's over now. It *will* pass. Getting together with some other new moms might help. And spend as much quality time with your baby as you can: don't just take care of his physical needs, but also consciously try to get to know him. Wear him; sleep with him; let him be a part of you, not some separate thing that you have to go attend to now and then. April, cut yourself some slack - you just had a baby a week ago, and you are in the middle of a hormonal firestorm, PLUS you are probably feeling pretty overwhelmed. Virtually everyone is exhausted and weepy for the first few weeks - your body is trying to adjust to its new post partum state, all your hormone levels are wildly fluctuating. You are trying to adjust to new roles and relationships - the reality of motherhood is starting to dawn etc. etc. It takes some time - the first 6 to 12 weeks are like "baby boot camp" for most of us where we wonder if this was what we really wanted. I found the adjustment very hard - for weeks I wanted things to get back to normal, and I also wanted to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. I really resented that my time was so occupied and felt like I never got a break. Once I realized that old "normal" was gone forever, I could start to work on adjusting to the NEW normal. I also had to go through what I suppose you could call the breaking of my WILL. Once I accepted that what I wanted and needed would be secondary to the needs of the baby for at least the first few months and stopped resisting, things got easier for me. Use your support system. When friends and family ask how things are going, tell them what you need in terms of help and support. Sign up for a mother's group or a parenting class through your local community health office - if nothing else, it will get you out of the house and talking to other new moms so you will know you are not alone. This is totally to be expected. I read that the post partum blues usually set in around the 3rd day and can last a few weeks. If it goes past that see your OB again.

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