Baby Blues — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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EasyPerinatal PsychiatryBaby BluesMRCPsych Paper B

A woman becomes tearful, emotionally labile and irritable 3 days after giving birth. She remains able to care for and bond with her baby and has no suicidal thoughts, delusions or hallucinations. Her symptoms resolve without treatment by day 10 postpartum. What is the most likely explanation?

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Correct answer: A — Baby blues

The correct answer is A, baby blues. This is a common, transient postpartum state characterised by tearfulness, emotional lability, irritability, anxiety and low mood. It typically begins around days 3–4 and resolves spontaneously by about day 10, or within 2 weeks. Preserved ability to care for and bond with the baby and the absence of psychotic symptoms or suicidality support this diagnosis. Postnatal depression involves a more sustained depressive syndrome, generally lasting at least 2 weeks and often causing impaired functioning. Postpartum psychosis presents acutely with features such as mania, severe mood disturbance, delusions, hallucinations or confusion and requires urgent assessment. Tokophobia is an intense fear of childbirth, while birth-related PTSD requires a traumatic birth-related event followed by characteristic re-experiencing, avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms.

Reference: Royal College of Psychiatrists, Postnatal depression, section “Doesn't everyone get depressed after having a baby?”, accessed 2026. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/mental-illnesses-and-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression