Postpartum Rage: Why New Mothers Get Angry, Who It Lands On, and How to Get Help in the Netherlands

Nobody told you about this part.The rage that rises from nowhere. The way you can go from calm to completely overwhelmed in seconds. The fact that it almost always lands on your partner — while the actual source of the pressure stays invisible.Postpartum rage is one of the most common and least talked-about experiences of early motherhood. It is not a character flaw. It is a nervous system under siege.I sit down with Dr. Naomi Gibson, couples therapist and Dam Parenting's resident psychologist, to talk about what postpartum rage actually is, why it happens, who it targets, and what getting help looks like in the Netherlands.We cover:The clinical definition — and why postpartum rage isn't in the DSM even though it's realThe hormone and sleep science behind itWhy expat and international parents carry an additional isolation layer that makes it worseHow to access support in the Netherlands: verloskundige, huisarts, POP-poli, GGZHow couples can start to talk about this without it becoming another argumentThis is the first episode in our Maternal Mental Health series.If you are holding it together on the outside, this one is for you.