This post was originally written for the My Sweet Sleeper blog. You can see the original post here.
We know that having a baby can affect us in so many ways both during pregnancy and after the baby is born.
It’s common for moms to experience changes in themselves both physically and emotionally after birth. Along with sleep deprivation, many moms go through the “Baby Blues” in the weeks after giving birth. These are feelings of sadness and worry which typically occur in the first couple of weeks postpartum and these feelings will generally go away on their own without any help.
Some moms will find that they have more than the average baby blues. According to the American Psychological Association, up to 1 in 7 women will experience postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that typically requires help to feel better, such as therapy or medication.
Remember, you always want to speak with your doctor or health care provider if you have concerns about postpartum depression, as they can help you get the proper diagnosis and treatment that you may need. Many moms (and dads!) are affected by PPD, but thankfully resources are available. We have done some research to share some helpful resources with you here.
Here are five resources for help with PPD.
1. Find a provider who specializes in PPD
If you aren’t already connected with a mental health provider, this is a great place to start. Services such as therapy can often be very helpful to those experiencing PPD. Your primary care provider or OBGYN may have information on providers who specialize in PPD, and depending on your insurance you may need a referral from them. Your health insurance company may also have information on covered providers through their website so that is always worth checking out too.
There are several places online where you can find lists of providers who specialize in PPD if you like to do your own research.
Postpartum Support International has a perinatal mental health provider directory where you can type in keywords and a location so you can find providers local to you.
The American Psychological Association also has a psychologist locator. This is not specific for psychologists specializing in PPD, but there are filters you can select such as pregnancy/childbirth that would help you find a provider who does.
Find a Therapist is another resource to find a provider near you, and they have a postpartum filter.
The Postpartum Stress Center is a resource for people living in Pennsylvania, but they have a list of providers located all over who specialize in PPD on their PPSC Clinician Referral List .
2. Postpartum Support International (PSI)
In addition to their perinatal mental health provider directory, PSI has lots of other resources for postpartum parents. They have a support helpline, which has options in both English and Spanish, you can reach this at 1-800-944-4773. You can also text them at 800-944-4773 for English or 971-203-7773 for Spanish. Their site states that these numbers are available during business hours and they also say that if you are in crisis to contact your local emergency number such as 911, or the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Their helpline has you leave a message and then one of their volunteers will get back to you and can help connect you with local resources if you need.
The PSI website has so much information for anyone suffering from PPD. On their website they have a self-rating scale you can take to see if you have symptoms of PPD. This can be a great tool to use to give you a starting point for a conversation with your doctor. PSI has resources for both moms and dads, and they note that 1 in 10 dads experience PPD as well.They offer online support groups every weekday for pregnancy and postpartum mood support. They also have a variety of additional support groups such as NICU parents, Dad support, and more. PSI is really a great resource for anyone in their postpartum period.
3. Pacific Post Partum Support Society
The PPPSS is a resource based out of Canada, which was first started in 1971. They have a telephone support line (1-855-255-7999) that is available Monday-Friday from 10 am – 3 pm PT, and they also have a texting support line (604-255-7999). They previously offered in person support groups, though the groups are currently running online through Zoom. PPPSS features a variety of resources on their website, including videos, a blog, a variety of hand outs, and a list of websites on perinatal depression.
4. Books & Podcasts
If you like to read, there are lots of books available on the topic of PPD. Karen Kleiman, who founded The Postpartum Stress Center in 1988, has written many books on PPD, fears of new moms, therapy, and more. You can find her books here: https://postpartumstress.com/books/ Amazon also has a list of best sellers that discuss postpartum depression, which can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Postpartum-Depression/zgbs/books/282839
We know it can be hard to find time to read, especially with babies around. Some of the books included on the lists above are also available as audiobooks. Also, if you listen to podcasts, there are shows dedicated to postpartum. The Pacific Post Partum Support Society has a podcast called Beyond Postpartum. The podcast is described as “stories of resilience and recovery from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders” (https://postpartum.org/podcast/). Also, if you search for postpartum depression wherever you listen to podcasts, you will find many more shows on the topic.
5. PostpartumMen
We know that 1 in 10 dads will experience PPD, so it is great that there are resources just for dads as well. PostPartumMen discusses how depression affects men in addition to what Paternal Postnatal Depression (PPND) can look like. They have a self assessment available on their website along with a resource page and an online forum all geared specifically towards dads.
There’s a lot of information packed into this list of resources, and there are even more resources out there that aren’t included on this list.
Postpartum Depression is common and help is available. If you feel like you may be experiencing PPD or if you have already been diagnosed, know that you don’t need to suffer alone and that there are so many resources that can offer you support.
Sources:
National Institute of Mental Health (2013). Perinatal Depression. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/perinatal-depression
American Psychological Association (2008). Postpartum Depression. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/pi/women/resources/reports/postpartum-depression
Postpartum Support International (2021). Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.postpartum.net/
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/depression/resources.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/vital-signs/identifying-maternal-depression/index.html
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/postpartum-depression-support
https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/postpartum-depression
