Baby blues

Below you can find out what the baby blues are and how you can get support.

The baby blues are most severe on the 3rd to 5th day after giving birth. The sometimes intense feelings are unpleasant: typical signs are sadness, anxiety, irritability, exhaustion, extreme mood swings and lack of sleep. These feelings are a normal reaction to the physical and emotional changes after giving birth and occur in many mothers. Instead of treatment, all that is usually needed is a mindful environment. The baby blues pass quickly. Nevertheless, mothers need a loving and supportive environment during this time. The new mother's environment has a major influence on whether and to what extent the baby blues occur.

What can you do to combat the baby blues? 

It is important to know that the baby blues are usually over soon. To be prepared, you can organise help during pregnancy for the initial period after giving birth. Friends, relatives or specialists can provide support. Talking openly with your partner or a midwife about overwhelming feelings can also help. Try to get enough sleep after childbirth – even if it is only for a few hours at a time. Sometimes childbirth does not go as expected. In this case, a debrief with the birth team or a conversation with a trusted person can be relieving.

Where can you find support?

You can find more information on the Baby Blues on:

• the Austrian Health Portal
• Geburtsinfo Wien (Birth Info Vienna) website 
• and the Eltern-Bildung website.

You can find contact information for outpatient clinics, counselling centres and services in your federal state in the brochure '... actually, I should be happy'.

The Early Intervention Family Support Team will help you to organise support services.

The baby blues have nothing to do with mental illnesses that can occur around the time of childbirth. More information can be found via the following link: Mental Stress around Childbirth