Final answer:
Postpartum depression (option A) is the correct term to describe a new mother's feelings of inadequacy and sadness after giving birth, while maternal blues (option B) is a milder and more common condition that resolves within a few days or weeks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The new mother's feelings of inadequacy and sadness in the days and weeks after giving birth can be classified as postpartum depression (option A). Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that affects women after childbirth and is characterized by feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion. It can affect a mother's ability to care for herself and her baby.
Postpartum depression is different from maternal blues (option B), which is a milder and more common condition characterized by mood swings, crying spells, and irritability, which usually resolves within a few days or weeks after giving birth.
Options C and D, prenatal anxiety and infant blues, respectively, do not accurately describe the feelings and experiences of a new mother after giving birth.