Important Facts You Should Know About Postpartum Depression and How to Treat It

Welcoming a new baby into your family can be a wonderful and joy-filled experience for you and your loved ones. However, it's common during both pregnancy and postpartum to experience an array of emotions—for example feeling excited, anxious, overwhelmed, crying more easily, or feeling down. Sometimes this can develop into an anxiety or mood disorder, such as postpartum depression.

Signs and Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

Roughly one in seven individuals develop postpartum depression, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Postpartum depression involves intense feelings of sadness, irritability and low energy or motivation that last longer than the more common "baby blues."

If you suspect you or a loved one are experiencing postpartum depression, here are some symptoms you can look out for:

• Feeling sad, down or depressed
• Crying more often than usual
• Feelings of anger or irritability
• Withdrawing from loved ones
• Feeling numb or disconnected from your baby
• Feeling worthless or that you are not a "good enough" parent
• Difficulty sleeping even when you have the chance to sleep or rest
• Thoughts of suicide or not wanting to be alive

You are at higher risk for postpartum depression if you've experienced one of the following:

• Low social support
• Previous history of anxiety, depression or other mood disorders
• Depression during pregnancy
• Family history of depression
• Recently experiencing stressful life events, such as pregnancy and birth complications, illness or job loss

If you or a loved one are experiencing postpartum depression, there are a number of treatment options available that align with your values and preferences.

Treating Postpartum Depression

If you are planning pregnancy, pregnant or postpartum and are experiencing depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns, the EvergreenHealth Perinatal Mood Disorder Clinic has experts available to support you.

There are a number of evidence-based treatment options, including talk therapy and medication options. Common medication treatments include antidepressants, such as sertraline, escitalopram, and fluoxetine.

There are also new treatment options on the horizon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new medication, zuranolone, the first oral medication with a specific indication for postpartum depression.

Expected to be available in late 2023, zuranolone is a once-a-day oral medication taken for 2 weeks.

Based on research studies, the FDA says that patients experiencing postpartum depression who took zuranolone saw "significantly more improvement in their symptoms" compared to those who did not take any medication. More information is still needed on many aspects of this medication including cost, safety in breastfeeding and treatment length.

If you have questions about treatment options for mental health concerns when planning pregnancy, while pregnant, or postpartum, please reach out to our EvergreenHealth Perinatal Mood Disorder Clinic. We offer a supportive, compassionate and safe environment where you can talk about what you're experiencing and collaborate on a treatment plan that supports your goals.

To make an appointment with Dr. Amelia Wendt at the EvergreenHealth Perinatal Mood Disorder Clinic, you can call 425-899-3602 and also ask your obstetric care provider for a referral to the clinic.