Tracking your postpartum mood: a gentle daily routine

After your baby arrives, you may feel overjoyed one moment and tearful for no clear reason the next. Sleepless nights, a brand-new routine and the changes in your body all add up, so it is no surprise that your feelings swing. In this post we look at how to track your postpartum mood without wearing yourself out, and how to tell when it is time to ask for help.

Why do feelings swing so much after birth?

In the first days after giving birth, many people feel tearful, anxious, touchy or restless. This period is often called the "baby blues". It usually starts a few days after birth and often eases on its own within two weeks.

These feelings are not a sign of weakness or of being a "bad parent". Your body is going through a huge change, your sleep is turned upside down and you spend the whole day focused on someone else's needs. Ups and downs at a time like this are deeply human.

Sometimes, though, difficult feelings don't fade, or they get heavier. Postnatal depression can start during pregnancy, soon after birth or at any point until your baby's first birthday. That is exactly why a simple log helps: you don't have to rely on memory to know what has been going on and for how long.

What can you note in one minute a day?

Writing a long journal with a newborn isn't realistic. The goal isn't to record everything, but to see the bigger picture of your week through a few small marks. Once a day, whenever it suits you, check in on:

• Mood: How were you overall today? A simple scale or a single word is enough.
• Energy: How able did you feel to keep going through the day?
• Sleep: Could you sleep when you had the chance, or did you lie awake even though you were tired?
• Hardest moment: What was the hardest thing today? One sentence is plenty.
• A good moment: Did anything, however small, make you feel better?

Some days you won't write anything, and that's completely fine. An empty day isn't a failure. If you find it hard to name your feelings, our list of emotions can give you a few words to start with.

If difficult feelings last longer than two weeks

Looking back over your notes once a week helps you spot a trend you might miss day to day. If you have been experiencing some of the following for more than two weeks, or they are getting heavier, it may be time to tell your doctor, midwife or health visitor:

• A low or hopeless feeling on most days
• No longer enjoying things you used to enjoy
• Feeling that you can't keep up or can't cope
• Strong guilt, worthlessness or thoughts like "I'm not a good parent"
• Constant worry, fear or restlessness
• Being unable to sleep even when you have the chance to rest
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Finding it hard to bond with your baby

You don't need to have all of these; even a few are reason enough to talk to someone. This list isn't meant to diagnose anything, only to make asking for help easier. The person who can look at what you are going through and suggest the right support is your doctor or care team. Taking your notes to your postpartum check-ups makes this easier too; we collected the check-ups worth keeping track of in our postpartum check and log list.

When to get help without waiting

Some thoughts shouldn't wait for the next appointment. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, if you don't feel safe, or if you notice you are seeing or hearing things that aren't there, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department right away.

Having these thoughts doesn't make you a bad person, and no one should judge you for saying them out loud. Telling someone nearby "I'm not okay right now, I need help" is a valuable first step.

Sharing your notes with people around you

After birth it can be hard to see yourself from the outside. Your partner, a family member or a close friend sometimes notices a change before you do. A short weekly chat with someone you trust can help:

1. Look at the week as a whole. Which feelings show up most in your notes?
2. Ask for something specific. Taking over one night feed, or giving you a two-hour window to sleep.
3. Decide together about seeing a doctor. If it helps, have someone come with you to the appointment.

Your notes belong to you alone. You decide how much to share, and with whom.

How do you keep this in Oveluni?

When you choose the Female profile in Oveluni, the Women's health tracking area appears, and you can keep your postpartum records there. With Daily check-in in the Quick add menu you can mark your mood and energy in a few seconds, and write down the hardest moment as A note. Set a reminder for your Daily check-in so the moment doesn't slip by; we explain how in our Daily check-in guide.

The daily observations chart in the Insights tab lets you see your weeks side by side, and if you want to take them to your doctor you can create a PDF report. Your records are stored on this iPhone. Oveluni doesn't diagnose or interpret; the person who assesses how you feel is always your doctor or care team.

Sources

1. NHS: Postnatal depression
2. ACOG: Postpartum depression FAQ