If you're experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, it's really important to contact your healthcare provider, whether it's your obstetrician/gynecologist, your midwife, lactation consultant, or your new baby's pediatrician.
For a referral for mental health treatment. For example, for mild to moderate depression, you might feel more comfortable going to a support group. Or seeing a counselor, one on one, for psychotherapy, to learn how to cope with some of the symptoms of postpartum depression.
For more severe symptoms of postpartum depression, for example if you are having any suicidal thoughts or any thoughts of hurting your baby, you might see a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication that are actually safe during breast feeding.
If you're trying to find a new mental health clinician. One resource that's in, very helpful is online and it's called Postpartum Support International. This is a nonprofit that has regional coordinators that can connect new moms with symptoms of postpartum depression with mental health clinicians.
Treatment for postpartum depression can really be a collaboration between you and your health care provider. And making a decision between what kind of treatment whether it's medication, antidepressant or individual therapy or a support group all of these treatments can be very effective either alone or in combination.
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