As a parent with a new child, you may feel as though you have turned into a person that you no longer recognize. There are preconceived ideas of what it means to be a parent. New parents often expect more of themselves than other people expect of them, but that doesn't help the fact that you can feel inadequate. For example, mothers may have difficulty nursing, sleeping, or connecting with their baby. Fathers may feel deficient, mis-utilized, or misunderstood.

Moreover, the risk of children having depression and learning difficulties nearly triples when parents are untreated for depression. 

​Anxiety comes about when you can’t make decisions on matters that used to be simple, and now seem beyond your capacity to deliberate. You may also feel anxious about allowing anyone else to care for your baby resulting in alienating well-intentioned loved ones. Oftentimes you may have thoughts that frighten you.  You may feel afraid to talk about this with anyone for fear that you will be judged or ashamed. This can lead you to feel isolated and helpless. These are all tremendous changes, which can affect how you feel about yourself, your partner, and how you feel about your children.