Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders 101

When we are pregnant or new mothers, we hear tons of information about Perinatal Mood Disorders, but it’s often just bits and pieces of information from the occasional person or professional, and it’s not always clear or accurate information. The following information is some of the most essential pieces to know about PMADS. This information can help you be on the lookout for any potential signs of PMAD symptoms, and hopefully will allow you to address them sooner if needed.

The Basics of the Terminology

We use the term perinatal because it covers the entire timeframe from pregnancy through the first year after giving birth. PMADS stands for: “Perinatal, Mood, Anxiety, Disorder.” This includes: Depression, Anxiety or Panic, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Bipolar Mood Disorders, and Psychosis.

The Concern of PMADs

PMADS is the number one medical complication related to pregnancy. postpartum depression impacts 1 in 7 women, and perinatal anxiety impacts 1 in 5 women. Perinatal emotional well being significantly impacts maternal mortality, as well as neonatal, infant, and child outcomes. PMADS have a significant impact on society, from relationship issues, parent/child bonding, employment, etc.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) vs Baby Blues

The overlap in PPD symptoms and baby blues symptoms are is strong, and often people don’t know how to tell when it goes beyond baby blues. Baby blues has a very brief window of time. 60-80 percent of new mothers experience baby blues. It lasts between two days to two weeks after delivery. Baby blues and PMADS have a lot of cross over with symptoms. Baby blues symptoms include: Mood swings, tearfulness, anxiety, irritability, and overwhelm. The biggest differences between the two include timing, severity, and duration. If you are experiencing baby blues longer than two weeks postpartum, we are looking at a potential perinatal diagnosis that goes beyond baby blues.

Groups at Higher Risk

There are marginalized groups that have a higher risk of experiencing PMADS. 1 in 2 black mothers will experience a PMAD, less than 50 percent will be screened, and less than 20 percent will be referred to resources. Up to 40 percent of Spanish speaking women will struggle with a PMAD. Most will never be screened, and will face many barriers for treatment. NICU and military moms are also two groups that have a high likelihood of PMADS. Up to 70 percent of NICU moms will experience PMAD. According to the NIH strongly recommends a thorough screening for PMADS for military moms.

What Causes PMADS?

Technically speaking nothing causes one to experience PMADS. It’s often a combination of psychological, social, and biological stressors, in addition to hormonal changes. Most importantly, you did not cause your PMADS. You are not to blame. It’s less about cause and more about risk factors. These include: mental health history, overall health, reproductive history, relationship stressors, trauma, social changes, financial stressors, etc. The odds of any expecting mother to be experiencing at least one of these risk factors is very likely. This information can be overwhelming but it’s here to prepare you and encourage you to do what you can to advocate for yourself and manage some of these factors the best you can.

While there is so much much more to know about the different symptoms and treatments about the many perinatal mood disorders, the information is dense and can be a lot to take in especially when pregnant. Having just the basics provided her sets you up for a much more informed pregnancy/postpartum experience. Use this information to have a conversation with your partner, midwife, OB, and your closest supports. You are not alone. There are options and supports along the way.