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You're not a drama queen, but you can tell something is off – in a big way. You've heard of the baby blues, and you know it's normal to feel emotional, sleep deprived and overwhelmed in the beginning after baby is born. But you're not coping, you've lost your appetite, you're crying all day and you're starting to think it's just not worth it, maybe you made a big mistake.
You may be suffering from postnatal depression.
Read: How do you know if a mother is a danger to her children? Here are 8 signs
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a 10-item questionnaire that was developed to identify women who have postnatal depression. It can also be used to screen for depression during pregnancy, called antenatal depression (read more about depression during pregnancy here).
To see the full Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale PDF quiz and score yourself, click here.
We've based an interactive quiz on this questionnaire, but the outcome may not be so strictly academic since the scoring mechanism works a bit differently. In short: if you're worried, even if you feel stupid about it, see your doctor immediately!
When doing the quiz, tick the option that most applies in the last 7 days.
This article was updated in September 2021
Finding support
If you suspect you might need help, or you know someone who is struggling, immediately contact the following organisations for advice and support:
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG): 011 234 4837. SADAG has a WhatsApp counselling line that operates from 09:00 to 16:00: 076 882 2775
Gauteng Mental Health Society: 011 984 4038
SA Federation For Mental Health: 011 781 1852
Chatback:
Share your stories and questions with us via email at chatback@parent24.com. Anonymous contributions are welcome.
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