how soon are symptoms present?

[greeneyedjess]

A friend of mine had her baby 11 days ago. She had a planned c-section due to the baby being too big and breech-that's not the point of my post though. She tried breastfeeding but the baby won't latch and I don't think she put a lot of effort into working on it. She has been pumping and giving him what she pumps and also giving him formula. She has always had some self esteem issues and I can't see why-she is very pretty and has always had a nice body. Anyway, she's really stuck on herself and she seems somewhat disappointed that there's still some weight hanging on. I was with her last night and told her she looks GREAT to have just had a baby!-and she really does-I wasn't just trying to make her feel better. She said that she's been crying a lot lately over everything and she gets anxiety if her husband leaves to do an errand or something. She also says that she has no appetite-which may be true-but I think she's not eating much because she wants to lose the baby weight. She told me last night that she wonders if she has Postpartum Depression. Her next doctor appointment is on Tuesday so hopefully she'll bring it up. I'm worried about her and I want to help but I'm not sure where my place is. Can anyone offer any suggestions or advice?

[mom0810]

symptoms can be present immediately or take weeks to develop, or months. It's different for everyone. Yes, hopefully, she will bring it up at the visit, but sometimes OB's are not even really aware of what to look for, and will brush it off. My first OB did and I suffered for almost a year because of it until I sought out help on my own.

[gwerydd]

it could be just the baby blues or it could be PPD. if she feels it might be PPD then i would take her seriously on that. PPD can strike anywhere from the moment of birth to end of the first year, and for some when weaning. for me it hit full force at 5 weeks PP. continue helping your friend out and being there for her. helping prevent feelings of isolation are so important. good for you for being there for your friend.