Most new moms have heard of the 鈥渂aby blues,鈥� the term often used for postpartum depression, which causes anxiety and feelings of intense sadness. But it turns out there is a little-known opposite condition too, called the 鈥渂aby pinks.鈥�
The 鈥渂aby pinks鈥� is marked by extreme euphoria or mild mania after the birth of a baby. The mother will feel over-energized and perhaps describe a feeling of not needing sleep. She might talk too fast and exhibit impulsive or unusual behaviour, as well as a decreased ability to concentrate.
While being overly happy might not sound as dangerous as overly depressed, the 鈥渂aby pinks鈥� come with their own risks.
Maya Hammer, a Toronto-based psychotherapist who specializes in postpartum mental health, says in some women, the condition, which has the clinical name of 鈥渉ypomania,鈥� can lead to more intense mental illness.
鈥淚f it tips into a more severe illness -- so a bipolar disorder which includes hypomania and depression, or full-blown mania and depression -- then it becomes so that the woman can no longer function and can鈥檛 take care of herself or her baby,鈥� she told CTV鈥檚 Canada AM Wednesday.
The 鈥渂aby pinks鈥� typically set in immediately after birth and can last for six to eight weeks. It鈥檚 not clear how common the condition is, though as many as one in 10 new mothers can experience it.
Women with a history of mood disorders appear to be at higher risk.
In many women, the condition eventually clears up. But for others, it鈥檚 the beginning of a long battle with postpartum bipolar disorder, says Hammer.
鈥淪o I like to think of it as a 鈥榩ink flag鈥� or warning that it could lead to a more severe mental illness,鈥� she says.
It鈥檚 not certain what triggers mental illness during pregnancy and childbirth, Hammer says, though it鈥檚 acknowledged that pregnancy brings plenty of physiological and hormonal changes.
鈥淭hen there鈥檚 also the psycho-social factors that happen during pregnancy and postpartum, such as the demands of taking care of a baby and disrupted sleep,鈥� she says.
The problem with the 鈥渂aby pinks鈥� is that they can be hard to distinguish from just the usual 鈥済low鈥� of new motherhood 鈥� and even harder for the mother herself to spot it.
鈥淔amily members or partners will notice a woman is showing unusual or weird behaviour,鈥� Hammer says. 鈥淪he herself might not notice because she鈥檚 feeling great and she鈥檚 able to do a lot. So it鈥檚 really important for partners and family members to observe her behaviour.鈥�
Hammer adds that women who think they have developed an unusual amount of euphoria should talk to their doctors about it.
鈥淓specially if a woman has a personal or family history of mental illness, it鈥檚 important to seek care immediately, to get in touch with their family doctor and get a referral to a psychiatrist, to make sure she鈥檚 treated properly so that it doesn鈥檛 develop into a full-blown mental illness.鈥�
