Inside Look: “When Baby Brings the Blues” by Dr. Ariel Dalfen M.D.
Book Review:
Length: Average - A Moderate Read
Topics: Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Current Status: Available for Check Out
“When Baby Brings the Blues” was the first book I read on the postpartum period and I have to say, I learned more with every single page. Dr. Dalfen does an amazing job decribing the differences between “Baby Blues”(feeling down for the first two(ish) weeks after birth), Postpartum Depression, and Postpartum Anxiety. She also goes into depth about the levels of these different postpartum mood disorders, with different treatment options. I honestly wish that every single pregnant person on this planet AND their partner (if applicable) would have this book available to them.
There is a section of the book that breaks down postpartum depression into three different categories; mild, acute, and severe, and puts identifying symptoms into a chart. I vividly remember sitting on my couch, reading the chart while my kids napped and my husband walked in and out of the house taking whatever he was working on to and from the garage. I read the portion on mild PPD and I was shocked to see I had exhibited every symptom after my first pregnancy.
“Kagen!” I called out as he walked by “Did you know I may have had PPD after I had Emily?”
He turned to me, a slightly confused look on his face, “Yes …”
“Huh, I had no idea.” After a slight pause, he continued back out the door and I continued reading. My shocked state continued to grow as I finished the mild postpartum depression chart. “Kagen!” He came back in. “Did you know I have every symptom for mild PPD?”
He continued to look confused, “Yes … babe you had pretty bad PPD.”
“What? Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t know what to say. This is more of what you know about.”
It occurred to me, as I finished the severe PPD chart with nearly every symptom checked, that if my husband had had this book before I gave birth that my postpartum period could have looked very different. Experiencing it myself, I had only thought myself tired and coping to my best ability. Despite my severe symptoms, PPD had honestly never entered my mind. And while Kagen could clearly see from the outside that I was struggling, and he strongly suspected I had PPD, he had no tools to show him what to do and we had no family in the area for him to consult. Assuming family would have known what to do.
“When Babies Bring the Blues” fills that gap, helping pregnant people, postpartum people, and those close to them to navigate postpartum mood disorders in a clear, simple language that can be understood and implemented. For that reason, I highly recommend anyone listed above take the time to read it!
As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!