Postpartum mood changes need prompt attention when they last beyond two weeks, get worse, or make daily care hard. To track them, use the same questionnaire, note each date, and bring the results to your doctor or midwife. A questionnaire cannot diagnose postpartum depression, identify the cause, or determine whether you or the baby are safe.
Is it the baby blues or postpartum depression?
The baby blues often begin soon after birth. You may feel tearful, irritable, worried, or overwhelmed, and the feelings usually ease within days. The Office on Women's Health advises contacting a doctor when symptoms last longer than two weeks. Get help sooner if they grow stronger or make everyday tasks hard.
Postpartum depression tends to last longer or interfere more with daily life. It can begin at any point in the first year after birth, and depression can also start during pregnancy. Symptoms may include ongoing sadness or anxiety, loss of interest, severe guilt, or trouble bonding. Some people have sleep problems beyond the baby's schedule, or struggle to care for themselves or the baby.
Some people face a higher risk, but no single factor predicts what will happen. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Office on Women's Health describe several risk factors. They include a history of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or another mental health condition, and depression or anxiety during pregnancy.
Limited practical or emotional support also raises concern, as do major stress, abuse, financial strain, and relationship problems. So do problems with a previous pregnancy or birth. Symptoms still deserve attention when none of these factors apply.
When to get immediate help
Get immediate help if you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Also seek urgent care for severe confusion, loss of contact with reality, or seeing or hearing things that others do not. Do not wait.
If you need help now. In the US, Call 988 or text 988. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Outside the US, contact your local emergency number or find support in your country.
Call emergency services or go to an emergency department if you may act on thoughts of harm. Do the same if you cannot keep yourself or the baby safe. Postpartum psychosis is a severe illness that can cause confusion, false beliefs, or a break from reality. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls for immediate risk assessment after a positive self-harm response and immediate care for postpartum psychosis.
How can I track my symptoms at home?
Tracking works best as a record for a conversation with your doctor or midwife. Keep the record simple. It should not become a test you must pass.
Use the same validated questionnaire and timeframe when comparing results, and record the date. Add a few notes that may explain the week: sleep, physical recovery, feeding, pain, support, medicine changes, or major stress. Do not focus only on the total if one answer or a change in daily life concerns you.
Your doctor may choose the EPDS or another screen tested for use during pregnancy or after birth. They may also use the PHQ-9 for depression symptoms or the GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms. These describe recent symptoms, not a postpartum diagnosis or its cause.
Bring the results to a visit rather than reading the trend alone. A rising score can start a useful conversation. It cannot show whether the change came from depression, anxiety, sleep loss, normal adjustment, illness, medicine, or a hard week. A stable score can still matter when symptoms disrupt daily life.
How does postpartum screening work?
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, or EPDS, is a commonly used postpartum screen. The original study describes 10 items about the previous seven days. The total runs from 0 to 30 (Cox et al., 1987). Survey Doctor does not offer the EPDS as a public self-test.
There is no single EPDS band table for every setting, and clinics choose different score cutoffs and follow-up plans. A large EPDS accuracy review shows the trade-off. A lower cutoff misses fewer people with depression, while a higher one flags fewer people who do not have it.
Use the plan chosen by the doctor or service that gave the screen. Any response indicating self-harm needs immediate assessment, whatever the total. A high total is not a diagnosis. A low total does not rule out a problem when symptoms, daily life, or safety remain concerning.
ACOG recommends depression and anxiety screening at the first prenatal visit, later in pregnancy, and after birth. Screening should be tied to assessment, care, and follow-up. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends maternal depression screening at infant visits at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months (Earls et al., 2019). These are healthcare schedules, not a universal timetable for self-testing at home.
Ask your doctor, midwife, or baby's pediatrician which questionnaire they use. Ask what happens after a concerning result. Repeat timing should follow that plan and change when symptoms or safety change.
What happens after a concerning screen?
Screening is the start of a process. A doctor reviews how long symptoms have lasted, daily function, safety, sleep, health, past episodes, medicines, substance use, and support. They also check for signs of bipolar disorder or postpartum psychosis before discussing a diagnosis or care plan.
Depression during pregnancy or after birth is treatable. The right care depends on symptoms, health history, pregnancy or breastfeeding, preferences, and support. Do not start, stop, or change a medicine because of a questionnaire score.
Can partners track their mental health too?
Partners can also become depressed. A review of 43 studies found depression in about 1 in 10 fathers between early pregnancy and the first year after birth. A general screen such as the PHQ-9 or GAD-7 can organize recent symptoms to bring to a doctor. It cannot diagnose a condition or replace care when symptoms last, get worse, disrupt life, or feel unsafe.
Family and friends may also be carrying new care tasks. The caregiving tracking guide shows how to record sleep, time off, support, and changing demands. It treats strain as something to notice, not a score to pass.
What should I do next?
See a doctor or midwife if symptoms last beyond two weeks, get worse, disrupt care, or worry you at all. Share the answers and their effect on daily life, not just the total. Seek immediate help for thoughts of harm, loss of contact with reality, severe confusion, or an unsafe situation.
If you would like a record to bring, the PHQ-9 takes a few minutes. It gives you a score and a record of your answers for the visit.