Postpartum mood swings are correlated with high monoamine oxidase A binding, a study shows. For most women, the birth of their baby is one of the most strenuous but also happiest days in their lives. The vast majority of women experience a temporary drop in mood for a few days after birth. These symptoms of "baby blues" are not an illness; however, in some cases they can represent early signs of an imminent episode of depression: in 13 percent of mothers, the emotional turmoil experienced after childbirth leads to the development of a full-blown postpartum depression.