Postpartum Rage

About 1 in 5 women will experience mental health complications during the perinatal period, the timeframe during pregnancy and postpartum. It’s the most common complication of childbirth. As such, there has been greater understanding and acknowledgment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) in recent years. However, there is a common postpartum mood symptom that has been neglected: postpartum rage.

Postpartum rage is sometimes described as postpartum anger, or maternal rage or anger. Because of a lack of dedicated attention, it is unclear how many new mothers struggle with symptoms of postpartum rage, but growing research suggests it is an important and overlooked aspect of PMADs. Postpartum rage can often occur alongside the more commonly diagnosed PMADs—such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. However, postpartum rage can occur without a clinical diagnosis or you can experience PMADs without postpartum rage.

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The presentation of postpartum rage includes:

• Feeling easily frustrated, “on edge,” or irritable.
• Difficulty controlling temper.
• Feeling intense flooding of emotions.
• Having difficulty coping with daily demands.
• Physical outbursts, such as throwing or breaking objects.
• More frequent yelling or cursing.

It’s important to remember that if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of postpartum rage, this is not an indication that you do not love your baby or you are not meant to be a parent. Understandably, because of the symptoms, many new parents feel immense shame, guilt, and negativity toward self. But you are not alone in your feelings and several factors put a new parent at risk.

Causes or risks for postpartum rage include:

• Sleep disturbances in infant and mother.
• Hormone fluctuations.
• Emotion fluctuations.
• Lack of time for self (e.g., personal needs, autonomy, relational time).
• Inadequate support.
• Physical caregiving responsibilities.
• A mismatch between expectations of parenthood and reality.

Support Strategies

Ask for and accept support—increasing support can allow for self-care, including having time for yourself apart from your child are responsibilities. Self-care doesn’t mean you are putting yourself before your baby. Self-care means you are taking care of yourself so you can take care of your baby. Having more support will also allow for improved rest and sleep. Sleep issues play a critical role in the mental well-being of new parents, and improving sleep can also reduce postpartum rage.

Peer support—it’s helpful to see that you are not alone. Peer groups create communal support through shared experiences and mutual caring. Sharing common experiences is a way mothers suffering from postpartum rage can learn from each other while also caring for one another.

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Therapy—a trained mental health professional can assist by providing interventions to identify triggers (e.g., sleep deprivation, loud noises, feeling touched out) and negative patterns that lead to increased rage. A therapist can also provide relaxation training, such as deep breathing and mindfulness exercises, as well as defining appropriate boundaries and taking intentional time-outs.

Important Note: If at any time you are concerned for the safety of yourself or your loved ones (e.g., your baby) because of the symptoms of postpartum rage please seek immediate help from your health care provider or the national maternal mental health hotline / línea nacional de asistencia de salud mental materna, which provides real-time support and resources for pregnant and postpartum parents in English and Spanish.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.