What is the differentiate between "postpartum depression" & "postpartum psychosis"?

All three occur shortly after a woman gives birth to a baby, and are thought to be connected to the hormonal changes of pregnancy and birth. The "baby blues" occur most commonly and usually refer to mild feelings of sadness, some crying, lack of energy and fatigue that occur; this condition does not appreciably affect the woman's ability to care for her child(ren), but is uncomfortable because of the social expectation of happiness after giving birth. Postpartum depression is usually a more serious condition, with more weeping, feelings of sadness and emptiness, lack of enjoyment, and feelings of being unable to cope. The woman may withdraw from family and friends, spend a lot of time sleeping and have difficulty in caring for the child, relying on others to do this for her. Medication may be necessary if the depression becomes incapacitating; suicidal feelings are common in postpartum depression. In postpartum psychosis, the woman may not show symptoms of depression, but shows other signs of mental illness and loss of contact with reality; she may ignore the baby, hear voices directing her to kill the baby and/or other children, may be overactive but not tend to the baby. Again, medication and possibly hospitalization may be necessary. Postpartum psychosis has been used as a criminal defense, and I would think postpartum depression has also. You should know that insanity defenses are not very successful in the US court system.

Ashley's answer is incorrect. First, 'baby blues' and postpartum depression are absolutely NOT the same thing. 'Baby blues' are feelings of depression and mood swings that are transient and do not last long. The 'baby blues' resolve themselves in a very short period of time without intervention.

Postpartum depression, on the other hand, is quite serious. It has the same symptoms as major depression (depressed mood, anxious, irritability, feelings of worthlessness and isolation, etc.), and these are felt constantly for a period of over 2 weeks. It causes significant impairment in a person's ability to function. Severe postpartum depression sometimes includes thoughts of hurting oneself or one's child. Most women respond very well to treatment. Unlike 'baby blues', postpartum depression typically does not resolve itself without intervention, and can last well over a year if not treated.

Postpartum psychosis is the most extreme form of postpartum mood disorders and differs from postpartum depression in that the woman experiences psychotic or irrational thoughts. So, it has all of the symptoms of postpartum depression, plus additional symptoms such as severe agitation, delusional thoughts, insomnia, hallucinations, paranoia, etc. The symptoms of postpartum psychosis are not always constant, and a woman suffering from this disorder often tries to hide her thoughts and feelings from others. It also responds well to treatment, with most women experiencing postpartum depression before complete recovery.

Regarding which might be used as a criminal defense, severe postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis have been used by defense attorneys in the US in a few cases, but I am not sure how successful those defenses were. It is a legal defense in a number of countries (e.g., Great Britain), and some US states have considered legislation officially making it a legal defense, but with very stringent guidelines.

Um, baby blues and postpartum depression are one and the same. They usually tend to not want anything to do with their kid after it's born. I would think the latter is more liable to act in an irrational manner and hurt a child. The reason being is in psychosis they tend to get delusions and hallucinations, including auditory hallucinations which could tell them to kill.

I would think either could be criminal defense, assuming the person had a history of psych illness to back it up. Mainly bipolar or schizophrenia patients.