Postpartum

Fourth trimester overview: what it is and what to expect

If you're in the early weeks with a newborn, this is your gentle reminder to check in with your care provider about what follow-up looks like for you in the coming weeks to facilitate healing and recovery.

Baby blues and pinks: What they are, and when should you be concerned

Mood swings are very common in the first two weeks after giving birth, and generally nothing to be worried about. But if it feels more serious than that, or lasts beyond those first few weeks, please talk to your care provider.

Your postpartum emotions: making sense of it all

Postpartum depression – recognizing it in yourself

If you’ve been feeling like a version of yourself you don't recognize — more irritable, more numb, more distant than you expected — you’re not the only one.

Postpartum anxiety – when worry won't stop

If worry is taking up a lot of your day or making it hard to rest even when the baby is sleeping or being cared for by someone else, it's worth mentioning to your care provider.

Postpartum OCD – when the thoughts won't stop

An explanation of postpartum OCD, how it presents, why it is significantly underdiagnosed, and what evidence-based treatment options are available. Addresses myths and misunderstandings about how OCD presents.

Intrusive thoughts after birth: “I keep having scary thoughts about my baby”

Postpartum rage – the emotion no one warned you about

If anger has shown up since giving birth in ways that feel unfamiliar, that’s not uncommon. Many new parents find themselves snapping at people, feeling constantly irritated or reacting in ways that frighten or surprise them. There’s even a name for it: postpartum rage. Rather than asking “what's wrong with me,” it can help to ask: “what is my anger trying to tell me?”

Recognizing postpartum psychosis

Infant feeding in the first three months

Many parents begin postpartum with a vision of how feeding will unfold, only to find that reality looks very different. If feeding feels hard, reach out through our Service Finder. Asking for help is also a way of taking care of your mental health.

You don't have to do this alone: Finding support in the early weeks

Postpartum relationships and relationship recovery

Identity after baby – who am I now?

Take 10 minutes with the Values Map exercise below — it can be a surprising way to reconnect with who you are beyond your role as a parent.

Sleep, rest and recovery after birth

Sleep and rest are not the same thing

Bonding with your baby

Some parents feel an immediate rush of love and connection. Others feel stunned, detached or like they're caring for a stranger they don't quite know yet. Both of these are real experiences, and neither one predicts what your relationship with your baby will look like.

Intrusive thoughts and postpartum OCD

Intrusive thoughts are more common than you might think. If something here feels familiar, you can tell your care provider: "I've been having upsetting thoughts I don't want, and they're becoming hard to ignore." That's enough to start.

1–3+ years postpartum overview: what to expect physically and mentally

By the time your child is a toddler, the intense pressures of early infancy are usually replaced by a completely different set of challenges.

Feeding at 1–3+ years: breast/chestfeeding and weaning

Common experiences, resources, and services available to support breast/chestfeeding and weaning beyond the first year.

Feeding your toddler (1–3+ years)

Whether you're managing picky eating, continuing to breastfeed, thinking about weaning or simply wondering if what you're experiencing is normal, help is available. Public health nurses, primary care providers, lactation consultants, dietitians and other professionals can all provide support, depending on your family's needs. Use our Service Finder to find the support that’s right for you