How do you know when it's PND and not just sleep deprivation and stress from having young children?

[KurtMummegut]

My baby is four months and for the past week I've felt on edge, anxious, irritable, scared, loss of appetite and insomnia. I am worried its PND but then I think maybe its a normal reaction to being woken every 2-3 hours plus looking after two older children one of whom is being rather challenging at the moment. The seasons are also changing which never helps my mood.

How does PND present? How do you know you have it? I feel horrid and I am being horrid to DH and the children.

Your health visitor would get you to do the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale questionnaire www.fresno.ucsf.edu/pediatrics/downloads/edinburghscale.pdf though you may have done this already? I have two DD, and did not have PND but sleep deprivation caused me to have many of the same symptoms :-(