“Is This Just the Baby Blues?” Let’s Talk About Perinatal Mental Health

You’ve been prioritizing your pelvic health and physical well-being — but are you giving the same attention to your mental health? 🧠

This week, we’re featuring a guest blog from Sarah Gracz, MS, LMFT, CEDS-C, and Kristine Gallagher, MEd, LPC, PMH-C — skilled mental health therapists from Orenda Counseling Services — as they share their expertise on Perinatal Mental Health.

If you’ve been wondering if feelings like guilt, shame, irritability, racing thoughts,

sadness, and even physical symptoms like dizziness, hot flashes and nausea are just

part of being a new mom, or perhaps something more serious—you’re not alone.

So let’s take a moment to talk about something just as important as physical healing:

your mental health.

What Is Perinatal Mental Health? 🤔

Perinatal mental health includes emotional well-being during pregnancy and

postpartum—from conception all the way through the first year after birth.

It covers a range of experiences like:

⚪️ Anxiety

⚪️ Depression

⚪️ Birth-related trauma

⚪️ OCD

⚪️ Intrusive thoughts

⚪️ Rage

⚪️ Grief and identity shifts

These aren’t signs of weakness or that you’re a bad mom—

they could be signs you’re experiencing a perinatal mental health disorder (or “PMAD”) and that you need more support.

In fact, 1 in 5 women experience depression or anxiety during the perinatal

period and perinatal mental health disorders are the most common complication of

childbearing in the US.

“But Isn’t This Just the Baby Blues?”

That’s a very common question and while PMADs and baby blues may look similar,

there are some key differences:

Baby Blues

⚪️ Affects up to 80% of new moms

⚪️ Typically starts around days 3–5 postpartum

⚪️ You might feel weepy, emotional, overwhelmed

⚪️ Self-esteem remains intact despite emotional lability

⚪️ Clears up on its own in about 2 weeks

Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders (PMADs)

⚪️ More intense, longer-lasting

⚪️ Can begin during pregnancy or months postpartum

⚪️ May interfere with daily life, relationships, or bonding with baby

⚪️ Disruption of self-worth and self-esteem

⚪️ Often requires support—therapy, medication, or both

If your symptoms last longer than two weeks, feel more intense, or impair your level of

functioning, it’s likely more than just the baby blues—and help is available. The good

news is that with the right support, PMADs are highly treatable and can help you feel

like “you” again.

You Don’t Have to “Power Through”

There’s a lot of pressure from society to “bounce back” and “power through” the

difficulties that are inherent to being a new mom, which often contributes to feelings of

shame and inadequacy and deters people for asking for more support when they need it

most. But in order to show up as our best selves for those we love, it’s critical we take

good care of ourselves both physically and emotionally.

What does perinatal mental health support look like?

• Working with a perinatal therapist

• Medication when appropriate

• Support groups

• Trauma-informed care

• Mind-body techniques like breathwork, mindfulness, or EMDR

Wondering if what you’re feeling is more than “just new mom stuff”? Or simply curious

to learn more about perinatal mental health therapy?

Connect with one of Orenda Counseling Services’ therapists for a free, 15-minute phone consult to see if you might benefit from additional support.

⬇️ Click the link below to visit Orenda's website and book your consult call!

Visit Orenda's website here!

And remember: You’re not alone. You’re not to blame. With help, you will be well.

Additional Resources:

💚 postpartnum.net

💚https://www.momsmentalhealthinitiative.org/