postpartum depression

[pohst-pahrtuhm di-presh-uhn]

noun

1. Psychiatry.,  clinical depression in a mother, beginning shortly after giving birth and typically lasting from weeks to months, due partly to the hormonal disruption caused by childbirth and the psychological challenge posed by the sudden change in role and identity: characterized variously by withdrawal, low self-image, failure to bond with one’s infant, lack of motivation, feelings of guilt, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of postpartum depression¹

First recorded in 1925–30