It can feel like your spark is gone. You might cry easily, feel hopeless, or wonder if you’ll ever feel like yourself again. Some moms describe it as being trapped under a heavy fog where joy feels impossible—even when they love their baby fiercely.

What Is Perinatal Depression?

Perinatal depression is clinical depression that happens during pregnancy or after birth. It’s more than feeling tired or moody—it’s a deep, persistent sadness or emptiness that makes it hard to function and enjoy life.

Depression During Pregnancy

Perinatal depression doesn’t wait until your baby is born. Some moms start noticing symptoms while pregnant. It might look like:

• Constant worry that something bad will happen to you or your baby.

• Loss of appetite or eating for comfort without enjoyment.

• Insomnia, even when your body is exhausted.

• Crying in the car or shower, wondering if you’ll ever feel ready to be a mom.

• Guilt because you’re “supposed” to be glowing, but instead you feel flat or empty.
  
  These aren’t just “pregnancy hormones.” They’re red flags that your mental health needs care, too.

Depression After Giving Birth

Postpartum depression often shows up in the weeks or months after delivery, though it can surface anytime in the first year. Signs might include:

• Feeling detached from your baby, like you’re going through the motions without connection.

• Irritability or rage over small things, surprising even you.

• Struggling to bond because you feel numb, anxious, or checked out.

• Intrusive thoughts, like imagining your baby getting hurt, even though you’d never want that to happen.

• Exhaustion that isn’t fixed by sleep, because your mind feels heavy and restless.

Symptoms of Perinatal Depression

Perinatal depression is more than a rough day or a week of “baby blues.” It involves a cluster of symptoms that last at least two weeks and interfere with your daily life. These symptoms may appear during pregnancy or anytime in the first year after birth.

Common symptoms include:

• Persistent sadness or emptiness that doesn’t lift.

• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you normally enjoy (including time with your baby).

• Changes in sleep—trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, even when the baby is resting, or sleeping much more than usual.

• Changes in appetite or weight, either eating much less or much more than before.

• Fatigue or loss of energy that doesn’t improve with rest.

• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

• Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or shame.

• Anxiety or irritability, which may look like racing thoughts or being on edge.

• Thoughts of death, suicide, or that your baby would be better off without you.

If these symptoms are present most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, and make it difficult to function at home, work, or in relationships, that points to perinatal depression—not just normal adjustment to motherhood.

What causes it?

• Hormonal changes after birth

• Sleep deprivation

• Stress and overwhelm from the transition to motherhood

• A personal or family history of depression or anxiety

• Lack of support or isolation