You search for postpartum depression stories in your browser. You seek moms who had postpartum anxiety or OCD. You WANT to hear from other moms who have what you have or feel like you feel. Which makes perfect sense. It doesn’t matter whether you have postpartum depression or something else, what types of symptoms you have, or whether you are pregnant, have just given birth, are one year postpartum or two, have just adopted a baby or recently experienced a loss, we’ve got something here that will make sense, give you comfort, offer information and help you see you’re not alone.
The following stories are organized in groups so that you can find symptoms, struggles or feelings that are similar to yours. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, keep scrolling. It’s worth it, and I bet you’ll find what you need. But if you still can’t, email help@postpartumprogress.org.
MATERNAL MENTAL ILLNESSES
Pregnancy Depression
Did you know that depression during pregnancy is just as common as PPD? If not, don’t feel bad. Most women don’t know. If you’re worried about being sad during pregnancy or are surprised that what you thought would make you feel happy is instead making you pretty miserable, you’re not alone. Check out these stories of being depression while pregnant from other moms who’ve been there:
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay During Pregnancy
On How It Feels to Be Depressed During Pregnancy
The Black Hole of Antenatal Depression
Robbed of the Joy of Pregnancy
Pregnancy Depression Was Like Running A Marathon With A Broken Leg
On What You Should Know About Antenatal Depression
Six Things You Should Know About Antidepressants and Pregnancy
Postpartum Anxiety Stories
Postpartum OCD Stories
If you’ve heard about postpartum depression and you keep thinking, “But I’m not depressed. I’m not sad and withdrawn. Instead I’m worried. I’m anxious all the time. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I’m having scary thoughts. What is this???,” we have answers for you.
Two Studies Find Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum OCD Much More Common Than Expected
The Endless What-Ifs of Postpartum Anxiety
Getting Postpartum Anxiety To Back Off
Does Having Scary Thoughts Mean You’ll Act on Them?
On What She Wishes Someone Had Told Her About Postpartum Anxiety
A Toolkit for Postpartum Anxiety & Panic Symptoms
A Therapist Shares Her Personal Experience with Postpartum OCD
Postpartum Anxiety & Intrusive Thoughts: One Mom’s Story
The Catastrophizing of Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum Depression Stories
You probably have no idea how many women — at the grocery store, in your neighborhood, who are your friends, who you went to school with, who you are related to — are surrounding you right this second who have or had postpartum depression, too. One in seven of us, ladies. And we have tons and tons of stories that will help you understand PPD and why you have it and what it’s like to deal with it.
* The Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety (in Plain Mama English)
* The Difference Between Postpartum Depression & Normal New Mom Stress
You Can’t Tell A Mom Has Postpartum Depression By Looking
* How Many Women Get Postpartum Depression? The Statistics
* Do You Need to Have A Reason to Have PPD?
* The Six Stages of Postpartum Depression
* 20 Things I Never Want to Hear or Read Again, PPD Edition
* Coping With PPD: Do You Cry In the Shower or Hide in the Bed?
* Six Things That Affect How Long Your PPD Will Last
* The Waiting Is the Hardest Part
* Profoundly Alone: The Disconnection of Postpartum Depression
Postpartum PTSD
If your pregnancy or childbirth was traumatic, you may be struggling with postpartum PTSD, or postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder. If you thought PTSD was only for war veterans, think again. It’s a real illness, and below you’ll find both information and stories from moms who’ve dealt with (and recovered from!) postpartum PTSD.
Postpartum PTSD & the Concept of Mental Defeat
Mom Recounts How Her Childbirth Trauma Led to Postpartum PTSD
Two Online Communities for Birth Trauma
Postpartum PTSD Risk Factors and Symptoms
Postpartum PTSD: Still Fighting To Heal From Her Traumatic Delivery
Postpartum PTSD is As Common As Postpartum Depression
Birth Trauma: Coping With Triggers
How A Traumatic Birth Gave Me Postpartum PTSD
Postpartum Psychosis Stories
No one talks about it as much because it’s a lot rarer than PPD, but postpartum psychosis happens in 1 in 1,000 moms and is a very serious illness. Moms who go through it often fear even more stigmatization than the rest of us, and they shouldn’t have to. Learn more about this illness with the following:
The Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis (in Plain Mama English)
Postpartum Psychosis Doesn’t Equal Failing As A Mom
Naked on the Side of the Road: One Mom’s Story of Postpartum Psychosis
Postpartum Psychosis Higher in First-Time Mothers
The Devil Was After My Child: A Story of Postpartum Psychosis
Using Postpartum Psychosis for Shock Value Hurts Moms
What Goes On in the Mind During Postpartum Psychosis?
Postpartum Psychosis: A Dream Becomes A Nightmare
Why She Kept Quiet About Her Postpartum Psychosis Symptoms
On Discovering Postpartum Psychosis Exists
The Amazing Synchronicity of Postpartum Psychosis
Depression After Miscarriage
There are around one million miscarriages in the US alone each year, and women who lose a baby deal with grief and sometimes also postpartum depression as well. Below we share resources for all the moms who’ve experienced loss. You’re part of the Postpartum Progress community too.
What is the Difference Between Grief & Depression After Miscarriage or Pregnancy Loss?
3 Ways to Support Women Who’ve Experienced Pregnancy Loss
Postpartum Depression After Miscarriage or Stillbirth
Having A Baby After Infant Loss: The Complicated Mix of Grief and Joy
The Blurred Lines Between Depression & Grief After A Loss
How To Cope With & Treat Perinatal Loss and Grief
Pregnancy & Postpartum Loss: Grief and Family Healing
PPD After Miscarriage: A Fight for Legitimacy
Warrior Moms of Color
In some cultures, talking about depression or anxiety is even more taboo. Imagine then how hard it must be to reach out for help or let anyone know you are struggling as a new mom. Follow are stories about postpartum depression and anxiety from mothers of color.
* Being Black with Postpartum Depression: Too Blessed to Be Stressed
* A Culture of Emotional Restraint: Asian-American Mom Shares Her Perspective on PPD
* Black With Postpartum Depression: My Therapist Had Never Treated A Black Woman
* Black and Married With Kids Features Story on Postpartum Depression
* Recovering from PPD in the Face of Life Challenges
* When Everything is Unexpected: From Natural Birth Plan to C-section
* My Journey through Infertility and PPD
Why She Kept Quiet About Her Postpartum Psychosis Symptoms
Expanding Outreach to Underserved Communities
Quitanda La Mascara: A Latina’s Fight Against Postpartum Anxiety
Latina Mom Was “Banshee Mommy” During Postpartum Depression
The Racial & Ethnic Disparities of Identifying & Treating Postpartum Depression
3 Ways We Can Improve Maternal Mental Health Care for Women of Color
Mothers of Multiples
Moms of multiples have a higher risk of getting postpartum depression, so we wanted to make sure you can see specific stories from other MOMs who’ve been there.
Mothers of Multiples Have Twice the Risk of PPD
Mom of Twins Besieged By Postpartum Intrusive Thoughts
Mom of Twins Gets No Help From Her OB for Postpartum Depression
3 Part Series on PPD by Mom of Triplets — 1, 2, 3
Post Adoption Depression
Moms who’ve adopted can struggle with depression too.
Post-Adoption Depression: Adoptive Mothers Need Not Suffer in Silence
Post-Adoption Depression: On What Stopped This Mom From Leaving Her Baby At Target
On Getting Through Post-Adoption Depression
Resources for Mom Struggling with Adoption Depression
Depression After Weaning from Breastfeeding
An Unexpected Weaning Leads to Depression
Developing Depression After Weaning From Breastfeeding
Dysphoric Milk-Ejection Reflex (D-Mer)
For Moms Who Feel Bad Before Breastfeeding, This May Be Why
Bad Feelings During Breastfeeding
POSTPARTUM SYMPTOMS
Postpartum Anger
Postpartum anger, or postpartum rage, is probably on of the most surprising symptoms that people never expect would be a sign of postpartum depression. Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty common. We hear from moms who’ve never thrown something at a wall in their lives who are stunned at how irritable, mad and flat out ragey they’ve become thanks to PPD.
The Rage of Postpartum Depression
Uncontrollable Anger Can Be Part of PPD
What Postpartum Rage Looks Like
Lori Bollinger: On Her Rage During Postpartum Depression
Adult Time-Outs: Lessons from Postpartum Rage
A Tale of Two Moms: Postpartum Rage
Stark-Raving Mad: Anger and Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Compulsions
Obsessed With Cleaning & Organizing: Coping With Postpartum Anxiety
Trying to Kill the Pain of PPD By Overspending
Lack of Bonding
If you don’t feel bonded to your baby and you are worried whether you’ll ever be able to create an attachment, we understand. It’s scary to think that PPD might prevent the bonding that everyone says is so important to a child’s health and wellbeing. When you read these stories you’ll learn that attachment can be created at any time. All is definitely NOT lost.
When Bonding Isn’t Immediate: Feeling Like You Don’t Love Your Baby Enough
Postpartum Depression & the Feeling of Feeling Nothing For Your Baby
Bonding with Baby: Attachment and the PPD Mom
Love in the Time of Postpartum Depression
Intrusive Thoughts
Your brain can think thoughts that you have never thought before, that are nothing like how you are as a person, and that scare the living daylights out of you. These thoughts are called intrusive thoughts and they often start with something like “what if,” as in “What if this awful thing happened to my baby?” or “What if I did this terrible deed?” Postpartum intrusive thoughts will have you wondering whether you can be trusted. You should know that women with postpartum OCD will recognize that the scary thoughts are disturbing and will usually be found doing everything they can to avoid even getting near anything that could cause harm.
A Primer on Intrusive Thoughts
Postpartum Anxiety & Intrusive Thoughts: One Mom’s Story
Does Having Scary Thoughts Mean You’ll Act on Them?
Hope for Moms with Postpartum OCD and Intrusive Thoughts
Postpartum OCD and Intrusive Thoughts: When the Wheels Come Off
Intrusive Thoughts: A Conversation
Postpartum Insomnia
Moms Need Sleep to Help Stave Off Depression
Sleep Management, Breastfeeding & Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Mania
The Difference Between Hypomania & Mania
The Enticing Euphoria of Hypomania
Postpartum Panic Attacks
Postpartum Panic Attacks Give Way To Postpartum Joy
Postpartum Panic Attacks: One Mom’s Experience of Full-Scale Fear
A Toolkit for Postpartum Anxiety & Panic Symptoms
Perfectionism
Postpartum Depression & the Pain of Perfectionism
How Perfectionism Can Be a Sign of Postpartum Depression
Physical Symptoms (headaches, stomach aches, back pain, etc.)
The Physical Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
The Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
Self-Doubt
* When PPD Beliefs Become Truths: On Self-Doubt
* The Unrelenting Self-Doubt & Second-Guessing of Postpartum Depression
* Postpartum Depression Is A Thief & A Liar
Postpartum Suicidal Thinking
* An Explanation of Suicidal Thinking (in Plain Mama English)
POSTPARTUM CAUSES & RISK FACTORS
Diabetes
* Women with Diabetes Twice As Likely to Suffer from PPD
Infertility and Postpartum Depression
* Postpartum Depression After Infertility
Childbirth Trauma
* Emergency C-Sections & Pre-eclampsia Increase Risk for PPD
* Pregnant Women with Hyperemesis Gravidarum at Risk for PPD
Childhood Trauma
* Helpless & Small In the Dark: Childhood Trauma & PPD
* How Your Own Mother & Childhood Can Impact Postpartum Depression
* Childhood Trauma & Finding Elusive Mother Love
Eating Disorders
* Study Finds History of Eating Disorders A Risk Factor for PPD
Family History of Mental Illness
On Family History and Postpartum Depression
The Heritability of Perinatal Mood Disorders
Previous Miscarriage or Perinatal Loss
Previous Perinatal Loss Is Predictor of Postpartum Depression
History of Physical or Sexual Abuse
Resources for New Moms Who’ve Suffered Past Sexual Abuse
Abused Latinas Have Higher Risk of Postpartum Depression
Thyroid Problems
* Is Your Thyroid Making You Depressed?
* Thyroid Problems in Women & Postpartum Depression
POSTPARTUM TREATMENT OPTIONS
Asking for Help for Postpartum Depression
* What To Do When You’re Too Afraid To Ask For Help
* 5 Reasons Why Asking for Help Sucks
* Why You Must Get Professional Treatment for Postpartum Depression
Natural Treatments for Postpartum Depression
* Study Shows Acupuncture Works to Relieve Depression During Pregnancy
* The Best Complementary & Alternative Treatments for Postpartum Depression
* Hypnosis For Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum Depression Treatment
* Postpartum Depression Treatment Programs & Specialists
* Told It’s a 5-Month Wait to See A Psychiatrist? Tips on What To Do Next
* Need Help Finding A PPD Specialist?
* Tips on Low and No-Cost Treatment for PPD & Anxiety
Inpatient Hospitalization
* Opening Up About Hospitalization for Postpartum Depression
* Tips on Inpatient Psychiatric Care
* Straight Talk About Hospitalization and Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Depression Medication
Besides therapy, medication for postpartum depression and anxiety is considered the most effective treatment for moderate to severe illness. So should you take it? What will happen? We know that all of you feel like you shouldn’t need to take a medication to “feel normal,” but at the same time we also know that you want to be a healthy mom. Learn more about medication for PPD here:
* No Judgment Allowed: What Saves One Mom May Not Save Another
* Postpartum Depression & The Stigma of Happy Pills
* Your Questions Answered About Being on Medication for Postpartum Depression
* Postpartum Depression With A Side Order of Side Effects
* Practical Advice on Antidepressants & Weight Gain
Postpartum Depression Therapy
Therapy is one of the two most effective treatments for postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (the other being medication). If you’ve never had therapy before you might be worried what it will be like or what will happen in a therapy appointment or why it’s supposed to help with PPD. Check out the following to learn more:
* 10 Things To Know About Psychotherapy Treatment
* 8 Types of Psychotherapy Treatment
* What To Do When Your Therapist Isn’t Working For You
* 5 Common Concerns About Therapy for Postpartum Depression
* How Does Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression Work, Anyway?
DEALING WITH POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Breastfeeding
* Sleep Management, Breastfeeding & Postpartum Depression
* Tips for Getting More Sleep and Protecting Your Milk Supply During PPD
* Toughing It Out With PPD to Breastfeed: An Expert Weighs In
* Letting Go of the Guilt of Not Breastfeeding
* From Boob to Bottle: The Unnecessary Shame of Quitting Breastfeeding
* Which Psychiatric Medications Are Safe During Breastfeeding?
Going Back to Work
* How to Handle Going Back to Work with PPD
Postpartum Guilt
Getting Rid of the Guilt After Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Shame
How Shame Gets in the Way of Postpartum Recovery
Parenting With A Mental Illness
Have I Wrecked My Child’s Life?: Parenting After PPD
Tips on Parenting Well While Suffering A Mental Illness
What Have I Wrought? Postpartum Depression’s Impact On Our Children
Parenting with A Mental Illness
8 Ways To Be A Good Mother Instead of A Perfect One
Having Another Baby After Postpartum Depression
No woman in the world would want to sign up for postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar, or psychosis twice. NO. ONE. So should you have another child after PPD? Will you get sick again? Are there things you should know?
This Valentine’s For You (What I Want You To Know About Having Another Baby)
To Have or Have Not: Should You Stop Having Children After You’ve Had PPD?
7 Survivors Share Their Stories of Having Another Baby After PPD & Anxiety
How To Prepare For the Next Baby
Pregnant After Postpartum? There Is Hope
Postpartum Depression And Relationships
As if being sick and scared isn’t bad enough, if you have a partner or spouse this person is probably looking at you and wondering what the heck is going on. That’s pretty common, unfortunately, because husbands and partners receive little to no education about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders either, and they’re likely very confused and worried. Here’s what you should know:
* Keeping Your Relationship On Track During Postpartum Depression
* How PPD Affects Your Marriage or Partnership
* Postpartum Depression’s Impact on Marriages & Divorce
* When Dads & Partners Don’t Seem To Get It
* Postpartum Depression and Relationships: Treating the Whole Family
* When Relationships Worsen After Mothers Recover from Postpartum Depression
* Will Your Partner Ever Understand Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum Relapse
Recovery from postpartum depression is almost never a straight line. You’ll have good days and bad, and when you have the bad ones you’ll be worried you’ve relapsed or that you’ll never get better. But you WILL get better. Learn about how to deal with the setbacks:
* How Recovering from PPD Is Like Playing Chutes & Ladders
* Relapsing on the Road to Recovery from Postpartum Depression
* Postpartum Depression: The Fight Isn’t Always Pretty
* Asking for Help When There’s A Bump In Your Road
Self Help for Postpartum Depression
There are things you can do for self care that have the power to make your recovery move along more smoothly. We want you to feel empowered to do small things for yourself that provide you with comfort or calm, a little laugh, a break from the stress. We know it’s easy to feel that taking time away from your baby is selfish, but it isn’t. When you help yourself, it helps your baby too.
Finding Balance Between Body, Mind & Social Network During Post partum Depression
Why Mindfulness Should Matter to Moms With Post partum Depression
The Ands & Buts of Post partum Depression
Self-Help Methods for PPD: What to Watch Out For
Insurance
* How to Get Help if You Have PPD & No Insurance
Religion
* Islam & Postpartum Depression
* Postpartum Depression Resources for Different Religious Faiths
* How Spirituality Can Impact Recovery from Postpartum Depression
* Mormon Mom On How Faith Helped Her Through PPD
This page is a work in progress, so if you feel like there is a section missing or something that really needs to be addressed here, let us know at help@postpartumprogress.org. Make sure to reference this page and tell us what topics we’re missing! We want to make sure you feel represented here!!!
