Baby Blues vs. Postpartum Depression

Culturally, we’ve learned to keep things behind closed doors, but this is one door we need to open wide. In many Black and Brown families, we've been conditioned to believe we must always be the strong ones. That struggling through motherhood, silently, is a rite of passage. As if sleepless nights, crying spells, and overwhelming sadness are a badge of honor. As if we should take it, smile through it, and carry on.

And when we finally build up the courage to speak up to say, “Hey, I’m not okay,” we’re often met with something like, “I went through that too, you’ll figure it out.” Or worse: “Just pray about it.”

Let me be clear: I love our culture. I love how we rally around our family, knowing exactly how to show up with food, hugs, and laughter. But I also know this: unspoken trauma gets passed down, generation to generation. And too often, our real struggles, especially around mental health, are minimized or dismissed.

So I want to say this to every mama out there: You are not alone. What you’re feeling is not just personal; it’s part of a larger, cultural conversation that needs to take place. And it starts with understanding the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression (PPD).

So what are baby blues? What’s PPD? And how do you know the difference?

Most moms, up to 80% experience baby blues in the first week or two after giving birth. You might feel weepy for no reason, irritable, anxious, or not like yourself. These feelings are normal and usually tied to the massive drop in hormones your body goes through after childbirth.

But postpartum depression is something different. It lasts longer and hits harder. PPD can start a few weeks after birth or even months later. It can make you feel numb, hopeless, disconnected from your baby, or like you’re drowning, and no one can tell.

Here’s how I explain it to my patients, plain and simple:

It’s okay to feel sad, overwhelmed, or not like your best self sometimes. However, if those feelings become persistent and start affecting your day-to-day life, your relationships, your work, or your ability to care for yourself or your baby, then we’re dealing with more than just baby blues.

And here’s the reality: Black and Brown moms are more likely to experience PPD, but less likely to get help.

Why? Because we face layers of barriers that others may not:

• Mistrust in the healthcare system (and for good reason)
• Underinsurance or no insurance at all
• Fear of being judged or having CPS called
• Lack of access to providers who look like us or understand our experiences
• Pressure to be the “strong one” and handle it all
• Talk to your OB-GYN or midwife: they can help you get screened and connected to support
• Find a therapist or support group, especially one that centers Black and Brown mothers
• Reach out to someone you trust: a friend, a partner, a sister, and be honest about how you’re feeling
• Know that medication is an option, and it’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a tool
• Take care of your body: rest when you can, eat nourishing food, get fresh air, even 5 minutes can help
• Give yourself grace, healing is not linear

So what do we do? We suffer in silence. But we don’t have to.

If you or someone you love might be dealing with postpartum depression, here’s what you can do:

Postpartum depression is real, but it’s also treatable. However, before we can treat it, we must discuss it. We must unlearn the silence. We need to create spaces in our homes, churches, and group chats where moms feel safe enough to say, “I’m not okay.”

Because the truth is: we can’t raise healthy babies without caring for the mamas who birth them. Because when we open this door for one mama, we open it for generations to come.