Safety
Signs that mean call today, not next week
The short list worth memorising, including the symptoms of postpartum psychosis — rare, serious, and treatable.
3 min read
If you need someone right now
Free, confidential, staffed 24 hours a day — and calling will not cost you your baby.
Most of what happens in the postpartum period can wait for your next appointment. A few things cannot. This is the short list — worth reading once now, while you are calm, so it is there if you need it.
Call today
- Thoughts of harming yourself, or of not wanting to be here — whether or not you would ever act on them.
- Thoughts of harming your baby that feel like urges rather than unwanted intrusions, or that you are afraid you might act on.
- You cannot look after yourself — not eating, not drinking, not able to get out of bed for days.
- You feel completely disconnected from your baby, or from your own body, for days at a time.
- You are drinking or using something to get through the day.
You do not have to be sure
You do not need to be certain it is bad enough. Crisis lines exist for exactly the uncertain, hedging, “this is probably nothing but” calls. Nobody has ever been told off for calling too early.
Get help immediately: postpartum psychosis
This is rare — roughly 1 to 2 in every 1,000 births — and it is a genuine medical emergency. It usually appears fast, most often in the first two weeks after birth. It is treatable, and the great majority of women recover fully. Partners and family are usually the ones who spot it first, because the person experiencing it often cannot.
- Confusion, disorientation, or seeming “not there”.
- Seeing or hearing things other people do not.
- Strong beliefs that are not true — that the baby is evil, is not hers, or that someone is going to take him.
- Intense paranoia or suspicion.
- Not sleeping at all for several days while feeling wired or elated rather than exhausted.
- Rapid mood swings, or speech that is hard to follow.
If you recognise this
Call 988 or your local emergency number now. Do not leave her alone, do not wait to see if it passes overnight, and do not worry about overreacting. This is one of the few situations in perinatal mental health where hours matter.
The fear that stops people calling
Almost every mother who hesitates is hesitating for the same reason: she is frightened that admitting this will cost her the baby. It is worth stating plainly. Seeking help for a mental health condition is not grounds for removing a child. Clinicians treat these as treatable illnesses. Disclosure is what leads to support.
You can bring someone with you. You can hand over a note instead of speaking. You can say one sentence: “I had a baby recently and I'm having thoughts that scare me.” That is enough to start.
Where this comes from
HoldMama is a support and education resource. It does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment, or emergency services, and nothing here replaces care from a qualified clinician. If you are in crisis, call 988 or your local emergency number.