Mood after birth and movement

Can being active help your mood after having a baby?

Yes, being active tends to go with better mood after birth. Exercise is linked with fewer symptoms of depression¹, and with less anxiety and tiredness too⁴. How big the difference is varies a lot, so think of activity as a helpful extra, not a guaranteed fix.

Exercise can sit alongside care for your mood. It doesn't replace assessment or treatment, and it shouldn't be used to stop or change medication or therapy⁵. If you're worried about your mood, or think you may be depressed, talk to your midwife, doctor or health visitor.

No single type of activity has been shown to be best. Yoga and walking each come out well in some analyses, but neither can be called the winner^5,6. So choose something you'll actually do, and that fits around the baby, such as a short walk with the pram.

If you can build up over time, about 80 minutes of moderate activity a week (such as brisk walking) is linked with a moderate drop in depressive symptoms¹. Treat that as a figure to work towards, not a pass mark. For background on movement and mood more widely, see Mood, anxiety and depression: the evidence.

When are the baby blues something more?

Feeling down, anxious or irritable for a few days after birth is very common, and it usually goes away within 2 weeks³. These baby blues are mild, short-lasting mood changes, with worry, unhappiness and exhaustion⁷. Becoming a parent brings a wide range of emotions, and the physical changes after birth can affect your mood, so more ups and downs than usual are normal⁸.

It may be something more when the mood changes are severe, or last longer than 2 weeks. That can be postnatal depression, which generally won't improve without treatment⁷. It is common (roughly 10–20% of women, depending on how it is measured) and it is treatable, so it is worth getting help early⁵.

Signs to look out for:

• low mood, or a sad, anxious or "empty" mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks⁷
• finding it hard to enjoy anything³
• feeling hopeless or that you cannot cope³
• difficulty sleeping even when you get time to rest³

Most episodes begin within 4–8 weeks after the baby is born⁷.

You don't need every sign to ask for help. Note roughly when the low mood started and how long it has lasted, as this helps when you talk to your doctor, midwife or health visitor. Tell them if sleep is poor even when the baby is settled. If you feel more tired than seems right, get it checked by a doctor.

How do you stay active when you feel low or exhausted after birth?

Start light and small, and expect to do less than you hoped at first. Light activity soon after birth is encouraged, built up gradually based on how you feel, and even small progress can help your physical and mental health⁹. After a straightforward birth, you can start gentle exercise such as walking, gentle stretches and pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel up to it¹⁰. Benefits come from any amount of activity².

Tiredness from broken sleep and the demands of feeding make it hard to start or keep going, and that is normal¹¹. These ideas can help:

• On a tired day, aim for something small: a short walk, a few gentle stretches or pelvic floor exercises, rather than a full session.
• Build movement into what you already do: walk short journeys instead of driving, use the stairs, or stand up and move around between feeds¹⁰.
• Share the load: ask your partner, family or another parent to take the baby for a short while so you can get out or rest¹².
• If you miss a few days, start again with something small. Partial progress still counts⁹.

Before high-impact exercise such as aerobics or running, wait until your 6-week postnatal check to get advice¹⁰. If you plan to return to running, ideally get checked first for pelvic health symptoms such as leaking urine or a feeling of prolapse, and see a specialist if you have them¹³. Exercise doesn't have to hurt to work. A sore muscle or joint means easing off, and if the soreness persists or gets worse, see a doctor or physio.

When to check with a health professional

If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first.

For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio.

If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, contact a local crisis line (findahelpline.com lists free services in every country), with your local emergency number if someone isn't safe. You can also tell your midwife, health visitor or doctor.

Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe.

In pregnancy and after birth, bleeding from the vagina, fluid leaking, regular painful contractions, the baby moving less than usual, pain or swelling in a calf, or a bad headache or changes in vision need the midwife, doctor or maternity unit straight away, even when they seem mild. Call your local emergency number for heavy bleeding, chest pain, severe breathlessness or collapse.

Feeling sick, sweaty or unwell, unexplained discomfort, or breathlessness or dizziness that doesn't settle should not be put down to tiredness: see a doctor, or use the emergency advice above.