Why do I feel rage when my baby won’t stop crying?

Question from Emily R., 33, Queensland, Australia. Mama to 4-month-old baby Nora.

Emily is a first-time mom navigating postpartum recovery and sleep deprivation, with no nearby family support. She’s dealing with intrusive thoughts, sensory overload, and unprocessed rage.

Mama,

I remember the first time I felt it.
That white-hot, chest-tightening kind of rage.

It hit me in the middle of the night — both my babies screaming, my body sore, my brain fried.
And suddenly, I wasn’t the calm, patient mom I thought I’d be.
I was clenching my fists, jaw tight, heart pounding with panic and fury.

It terrified me.

No one talks about the rage.
The way crying can feel like a fire alarm in your brain.
The way exhaustion strips away your coping skills, until all that’s left is this primal, boiling anger you don’t recognize.

You love your baby. But in those moments, it feels like you’re at war with your own nervous system.
And the guilt after? It’s crushing.

Let me say this loud for the moms in the back:
Feeling rage doesn’t make you a bad mother.

It makes you a human one — running on fumes, overstimulated, and desperately needing relief.
Postpartum rage is real. So is sensory overload. And your body is trying to scream what your words haven’t said out loud yet: I need help. I need rest. I need space.

You’re not alone in this.
You’re not broken.
And you’re not the only mom who’s ever felt like this behind closed doors.

You are still a good mom — even in your worst moments.

Love,
Lina P.