Twenty-five mothers described warning signs they initially missed, including rage, dissociation, hallucinations, inability to eat or brush teeth, and thoughts of self-harm or harming their babies.
CDC data cited in the report says about 1 in 8 new mothers—12.7%, or more than 400,000 a year—report postpartum depression symptoms, many of which go unrecognized or unreported.
Symptoms do not always appear right after childbirth: a CDC study found they can emerge 9 to 10 months later, a delay several women said kept them from recognizing what was happening.
Many accounts said the turning point came when symptoms escalated or others intervened, with mothers seeking doctors, therapists, crisis counselors or hospital care after realizing the danger.