There is nothing like laying eyes on your new baby. For new dads, bringing home a new baby can come with a lot of mixed emotions. Joy, happiness, fear, anxiety, and, sometimes, depression. 1 in 10 dads experiences postpartum depression after the birth of their first child.

 

What does it look like to be a dad with postpartum depression?:

• A sense of worthlessness, guilt, or inadequacy 

• Feelings of hopelessness or sadness

• Irritability

• Trouble sleeping

• A loss of pleasure from or interest in formerly favorite activities

• Fatigue or loss of energy

• Difficulty thinking or making decisions

• Thoughts of suicide

     
    New dads can also experience anxiety. This can look like:

• Excessive worry about a baby’s health

• Racing thoughts

• Obsession with caretaking rituals

• Unwanted thoughts of accidentally hurting the baby

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    If you are a new dad experiencing depression or anxiety after a new baby you might want to deal with how you're feeling with alcohol or other substances. You might also feel rage, have trouble making decisions, and might have a hard time feeling any emotions at all (feeling emotionally numb).

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     If any of this sounds like you, please know you are not alone. Being a new parent can be hard and it's important to know that other dads experience this too! All of our counselors are trained to work with new moms and dads going through the postpartum period.