What is the term for the psychological condition where new mothers experience significant depressive symptoms?

The term for the psychological condition where new mothers experience significant depressive symptoms is postpartum depression. This condition is characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that can interfere with a mother's ability to care for herself and her baby. It typically develops within the first few weeks after childbirth but can occur anytime during the first year.

Postpartum depression differs from conditions like postpartum psychosis, which involves severe mental disturbances and can include hallucinations and delusions, indicating a much more severe psychiatric emergency. Maternal blues, also known as the "baby blues," refers to the mild mood disturbances many women experience shortly after delivery, which usually resolve within a few days without intervention. Bipolar disorder is a separate mental health condition characterized by extreme mood changes that include episodes of depression and mania, not specifically tied to the postpartum period.