aranoia that her infant will be harmed. This is a manifestation of postpartum psychosis, which is a severe mental illness that can affect someone soon after having a baby. Postpartum psychosis can cause hallucinations, delusions, paranoia or other behavior changes. People with postpartum psychosis have a much higher risk of harming themselves or their children.

Concerns about lack of income to pay bills. This is not a manifestation of postpartum psychosis, but it could be a sign of postpartum depression or anxiety, which are more common and less severe than postpartum psychosis. Postpartum depression and anxiety can cause persistent sadness, worry, guilt, loss of interest or difficulty bonding with the baby.

Anxiety about assuming her new role as a mother. This is not a manifestation of postpartum psychosis, but it could be a normal feeling for many new mothers. It could also be a sign of postpartum depression or anxiety if it interferes with daily functioning or causes excessive distress.

This is not a manifestation of postpartum psychosis, but it is one of the possible causes of it. The sudden drop in hormone levels after giving birth may trigger changes in brain chemistry that lead to postpartum psychosis in some people. Other risk factors include having a history of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or previous postpartum psychosis. Normal ranges for estrogen and progesterone vary depending on the stage of pregnancy and the method of measurement, but generally they are much higher during pregnancy than after delivery. For example, the average level of estrogen in the third