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

Example Sentences

"Cesarean delivery in particular appears to increase the risk for severe pain and sleep disorders, which can lead to postpartum depression, thinking and memory problems, and fatigue, as well as disrupt bonding with their babies and relationships with family and friends."

Read more on Science Daily

“Go do the revolution, baby,” Bob says as Perfidia marches out the door, her postpartum depression urging her to prove that she’s more than an aching body shackled to a baby.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Now that the process has come to an end and the movie is about to be released, the director jokes he's "now in postpartum depression".

Read more on BBC

A former New Yorker uprooted to the countryside, Grace suffers from a postpartum depression that makes her feel like like a dreary wraith.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When I was flattened by postpartum depression and had a terrifying health misdiagnosis, Mark was there; the aligned presence was now more like a pillar holding me upright.

Read more on Los Angeles Times