Dear Jade,
Because of financial obligations, I recently went back to work after two months of maternity leave. I am very fortunate to have my fiancé stay home with the baby (because of a work injury). The problem is that my 3 ½ month old has grown extremely attached to my fiancé, and vice versa. When I get home from work I want to spend time with my daughter, but I don’t feel like I get the same response from her as my fiancé does. I’ve been feeling moody because of it for months now. I feel like a third wheel. My fiancé is a great father, and I am glad he’s babysitting instead of a stranger or a daycare, but I’m jealous that he is able to stay home and bond with our baby. - A New but Jealous Mom

Dear New but Jealous Mom,
I’m sorry you feel that way. Do you cook and clean when you get home, or does your fiancé help with those things as well? How serious is his injury? I can only imagine what a working mother has to go through to maintain a household. It sounds like you have several sources of stress: your fiance’s injury, less money, new baby, and the headaches of a full-time job. Have you tried talking to your man about it? Maybe he doesn’t know how you really feel and thinks he is helping. It’s not easy raising children and it takes both partners to make it happen, especially when you live in the same household. Your baby is still young and needs you. Your moodiness is probably because you are a new mother and still adjusting to the situation. It’s common for women to go through emotional changes after they have a child. It’s not just about labor and naming your seed – it’s a life-long (or at least 18 years) responsibility. When reality strikes, it can make you or break you. There’s a term for this – it’s called "baby blues" or "post-partum depression." Many women experience this. It’s a mix of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes due to the chemical and psychological changes that come with having a baby. Some things that may increase the risk of becoming depressed while pregnant are as follows: having a personal or family history of depression, age at the time of pregnancy (the younger you are, the higher the risk), living alone, limited social support (no friends or family to help out), children (the risk for depression increases the more children that you have), marital or relationship problems, or uncertainty about the pregnancy.