You tend to over analyze everything now, and it often takes you a long time to make a decision. It’s not just that though, you also intensely worry about the decisions you’ve made and how they will affect your baby. You’re confused about your symptoms. And since you don’t seem to fit in any box, you feel guilty and like you are failing as a mother.

Needless to say, your birth was nothing like you had hoped it would be. And as a result, you feel cheated. You blame yourself for everything that went wrong and feel betrayed by everyone who was supposed to be caring for you: your OB, the nursing staff, and maybe even your partner. Your sense of trust and safety has been turned upside down.

As a new mom, you may feel ashamed that you’re not enjoying motherhood. You may also believe that there is something wrong with you because you are struggling to embrace your new life as a parent. Left unchecked, these feelings can spread a mixture of anxiety, depression, sadness, guilt, and worry. And as a result, may hold you back from being open to growing into your new role. seeking help or talking to your friends about what you are going through.

As an expecting mother, you likely feel excited and are able to envision all the beautiful things that come along with bringing home baby. But, it’s doubtful you spend a lot of time thinking about the challenges you may feel emotionally when the baby arrives. Unfortunately, by not considering how hormones and lack of sleep contribute to feelings of anxiety and isolation, you’ll likely become surprised when you don’t feel like motherhood matches your expectations. The downside to not being prepared for these changes is that when it hits, you may feel like something is wrong with you.

Being a new mother can be a roller coaster experience. On one hand, there is so much joy that comes from creating a life. And on the other, there’s a lot of difficulty. You may have had so many hopes and dreams prior to giving birth, but one thing you weren’t prepared for was the feelings of loneliness and overwhelm that comes with motherhood.

There is so much confusion about what are typical postpartum feelings and what warrants a conversation with your healthcare provider.  If you try to talk to friends or family, you will likely be given some inaccurate information.  Unfortunately, sometimes even doctors may not recognize the signs of postpartum depression or anxiety.   

You’re probably familiar with postpartum depression and know a little about it.  Maybe you even know someone who’s battled postpartum depression.  But what about postpartum anxiety?  

Postpartum anxiety is actually very common.  Read on for 10 things to know about postpartum anxiety.