Postpartum depression can last anywhere from a few months to over a year or longer, especially if it goes untreated. With treatment, symptoms can become more manageable, but the timeline is different for each mom. “It’s hard to say how long it will take to start feeling better. Some women can feel better within a week or two of starting treatments. For others, it can take a month or two to find the right treatment,” says Natalie Feldman, MD, an attending psychiatrist at Mass General Brigham in Boston who specializes in postpartum depression and anxiety.
That said, some women may see an improvement in symptoms much earlier. “Sometimes just knowing you have a medical explanation for what you are feeling helps people to rally their resources and start to feel better — even before treatment begins,” she says. Dr. Feldman also notes that the person with depression is often the last person to realize they’re starting to feel better. “If people around you say that it seems like you’re getting better, they may be right.”
Just starting treatment can be healing. “Therapy can help women process what they’re feeling and reduce guilt and anxiety. Medication can also help regulate mood and emotional functioning, and many options are considered safe during breastfeeding,” says Dr. Chuang.
Lifestyle measures, such as eating healthy, trying to find moments of quiet time to de-stress with meditation or yoga, and getting good sleep, can also play an important role in how long postpartum depression lasts.
Other factors that increase the risk of a major depressive episode or influence the duration of postpartum depression include the following, says Lulu Zhao, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist and women’s behavioral health specialist at Cleveland Clinic:
- History of depression or other mental or physical health issues
- Life stressors, such as financial instability
- Lack of a support system
- Inability to seek therapy because of access or work schedule
- Birth trauma
- NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) stays
In more severe cases, depression can start as postpartum depression but persist beyond the postpartum period. In this case, your doctor may change the medication you take for postpartum depression to a more general treatment for depression. “Even if it’s been a long time, there are still treatments that can help, and it’s worth reaching out,” says Feldman.
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