Spot the signs of postnatal depression

In the early weeks of motherhood, it’s not unusual to feel as if you are living in some sort of parallel universe.

As well as feeling physically exhausted, having to cope with the rollercoaster of worries and emotions that come with becoming a mum can seem overwhelming.

Don’t worry – you’re not the first to feel this way. ‘Expectations can be sky-high when you’re pregnant,’ says chartered counselling psychologist Jacqui Marson.

‘It’s easy to focus on the perfect picture of motherhood and forget that having a baby is a major life transition that involves losses as well as gains.’

Postnatal depression is surprisingly common, but help is available. The first step is recognising that you are suffering from PND.

Some, but not all, of the following can be signs to watch out for:

• You find you need to put on a front to the world
  
• You feel a failure in that you can’t cope while everyone else seems to be just fine
  
• You’re frequently tearful for no obvious reason
  
• You find it hard to bond with your baby
  
• You find it hard to get to sleep
  
• You sometimes lose your sense of time – you can’t tell the difference between 10 minutes and two hours
  
• You long for sleep, yet wake up unrefreshed each morning
  
• It’s hard for you to see the funny side of life