Postpartum depression is traumatic. It’s even worse when you’re unable to find any help. You can get PPD soon after your baby is born or months and months later. A couple of friends didn’t get it until 6 months post-birth and often women don’t get it until after a couple of months post-birth. That means that most women don’t have symptoms of it until after the 6 week checkup with their OB when the issue could be addressed. At any time, it can be debilitating and lonely. 1 in 5 women will suffer from PPD every year.  To read my personal journey through it, you can read about it here on CafeMom.

To help you find resources, I’ve compiled a list. I know there are many other types of services that could help: message, exercise, nannies, taking a class, etc. Please see the Directory: http://directory.achildgrows.com/ for info on those subjects).

The point I wish to convey here is that there MUST be a more intensive resource center for women suffering with postpartum depression. We shouldn’t have to search through back channels to find such vital information. I want every mom to find the right place for them. It’s time they had a place to go!

Here are a few General Info sites to begin:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/depression-pregnancy.cfm: A brochure about PPD with a list of symptoms from the Federal government.

http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp091.cfm: This is actually a more helpful and complete discussion of PPD.

www.postpartum.net: this is a great place to start but by no means comprehensive!

For Support Groups see these:

http://www.brooklynppdsupport.org/: a support group in Brooklyn run by 2 women who have experience with the issue. The downside is that it only meets once a month.

http://www.ellenchusechildbirth.com/05pp_service.html: Ellen offers postpartum classes for mom and baby, she also offers counseling.

General Mommy Groups:

http://brooklyn.babybites.com/brooklyn-events/moms-groups/

http://boingboingmaternity.com/mothergroups

http://www.meetup.com/brooklyn-stroller-strides/

Some Hospitals that offer help:

http://wo-pub2.med.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/PublicA.woa/3/wa/viewService?servicesID=876&parent=Disorders+and+Areas+of+Concern&website=nyp+psych&wosid=BCyH4OnltdmJwKyAe1fEM0: New York Presbyterian Hospital offers psychiatrists, psychologists, and, periodically, support groups for women’s health issues, including PPD.

http://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/cs/women.html: Columbia Presbyterian Medical also offers psychiatrists, psychologists, and group therapies.

NYU Medical Center also claims (in the literature I received when I gave birth) to have a postpartum depression help center, but, quite honestly, I can’t find it and they sure didn’t help me after my son was born: http://www.med.nyu.edu

Gouverneur Healthcare Services: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/gouverneur/html/services/behavioral.shtml

Extra help can be found with a Postpartum Doula:

http://directory.achildgrows.com/Doulas: a comprehensive list of doulas in the area.

http://www.dona.org/mothers/find_a_doula.php: another great list of doulas in the area.

http://doulamatch.net/Default.aspx?DoulaType=Postpartum: you put in your zip code and the date you need her and pops you back a list. It’s very Star Trek!

http://www.ellenchusechildbirth.com/09links.html

http://www.doulacare.com/ This is the place I used to find a doula;, she was amazing and taught me so much.

http://www.disfordoula.com/index.html Sara Newman is both a doula and a lactation consultant. She also lists a new mother support group on her site.

There are also Holistic Doctors that can help:

The Continuum Center for Health and Healing: http://www.healthandhealingny.org/center/index.asp

Meridian Medical: http://www.meridianmedical.org

Acupuncture is also shown to be helpful:

http://www.activeacupuncture.com/postpartum-depression.aspx

http://www.ancientcurrent.com/acupuncture/category/postpartum-recovery/

http://brooklynacupuncturenook.com/chinese-medicine/conditions-treated/

A few key Books on the subject:

The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book by Sandra Poulin

Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields

When Baby Brings the Blues: Solutions for Postpartum Depression by Ariel Dalfen

Postpartum Depression for Dummies by Shoshana S. Bennett and Mary Jo Codey

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Trained as art historian, Tonya Vernooy has traded in her musings on biotechnology and contemporary art to focus on a more intense subject: raising her son and writing about it: www.adhocmom.com. She is also currently working on a series of murder mystery novels. She lives in Park Slope with 1 child, 1 husband, 2 dogs, and a cat.

Related Posts:

1. Pregnant? Brooklyn Moms Tell All (July 22nd, 2010)
2. Pregnant? New online network has resources for you (June 23rd, 2010)
3. Favorite Local Resources For Pregnancy (March 13th, 2009)
4. Postpartum Doulas (November 20th, 2008)
5. Postpartum Support (November 20th, 2008)