Name two common postpartum mood disorders and a warning sign for each.

• A. Postpartum depression — sadness and anhedonia; Postpartum anxiety — racing thoughts
• B. Postpartum blues — delusions; Postpartum depression — irritability
• C. Postpartum depression — sadness and anhedonia; Postpartum psychosis — delusions and confusion
• D. Postpartum psychosis — hypersomnia; Postpartum depression — euphoria

Answer: (C)

Recognizing warning signs of postpartum mood disorders and how they point to specific conditions is the idea behind this question. Postpartum depression shows up with persistent sadness and anhedonia—feeling sad most of the day and losing interest in activities you used to enjoy. When these symptoms last for weeks or longer and impair daily functioning, they indicate a real mood disorder that requires treatment and support for both mother and baby. Postpartum psychosis, though less common, is a medical emergency. Its warning signs include delusions or false beliefs and confusion or disorientation, which signal a break from reality and demand urgent evaluation and safety planning. Pairing these two disorders with their representative signs—sadness and anhedonia for depression, delusions and confusion for psychosis—best captures how different postpartum mood issues present and why they require different levels of care. The other options mix signs that don’t fit these conditions, such as delusions or unusual thoughts in blues or euphoria and hypersomnia suggesting something other than postpartum psychosis.