New Moms: If You Cry Your Not Crazy

I remember the day I was getting discharged from the hospital with Kaley. Everything would make me cry. My husband would ask me what's wrong and I'd say I don't know, seriously. I'm happy but I'm crying. It was frustrating me that I couldn't stop crying. I loved the balloon and flower my sister brought me and for some reason that was even making me cry looking at it. We tried to take pictures with Kaley before we left and it was everything I could do to hold back the tears for the pictures. The worse part was when we were leaving the room with the nursing assitant to walk out of the hospital, I just could not stop crying. I was passing people in the halls and they'd look at the baby or say something to me like congratulations and I was just crying away. I was like "I know they think I'm not happy about my baby or crazy". I thought I looked like a horrible mother but literally I had no clue why I was crying or any control over it at all. I was so happy and excited to be going home and I was in love with my baby. So why in the world was I a crying mess!? Hormones.

 

I posted this to say in case no one tells you before labor, if you are crazy emotionally afterwards it's completely normal. Your hormones become totally out of wack and take a dramatic dive plus it's a dramatic change to your life also. Exhaustion, lack of sleep, and the new responsibility can contribute also. Thank goodness my sister had told me ahead of time that it might happen but I still felt nuts. Even after you get home for the first few weeks if you feel down at times, have mood swings, or just cry at nothing. Don't feel bad, it's ok. Your not a bad mother, you love your baby. But your body has to get adjusted to living without all those hormons it's been pumping during pregnancy!

I had to go to the OR after giving birth...this is why I have such a lovely hat on :-)

Some people do have a more severe case and it becomes postpartum depression. If you feel like you can't care for your child or you stay feeling down for  over 2-3 weeks you may be past just the baby blues. It would definitely be something you'd want to tell your OB/GYN about. If you've ever been depressed or have a family history, you are more at risk.

But the baby blues, it's normal and "this too shall pass". I've read up to 80% of new moms experience this. So go ahead, it's ok to cry :-)

Did you have an experience with the baby blues?