Postpartum Depression can start any time during your baby’s first year, but it’s most common for you to start to feel its effects during the first 3 weeks after birth. If you have it, you might feel sad, hopeless, and guilty because you may not feel like you want to bond with or care for your baby.
If you are struggling with postpartum depression, there is hope. Check out the following words of wisdom for some inspiration. You’re not alone and you are worthy of feeling happiness, relief and the joys of motherhood.
Best-In-Class Therapists for Depression
Depression doesn’t have to continue to control your life. Get the support of a Jimini Health therapist. Join them for video sessions and a personalized continuous care plan, exclusively from Jimini. Combining the heart and experience of top therapists with the consistency of clinically-informed AI exercises has shown to be twice as effective as traditional counseling.
Starting at $200 per session (insurance not yet available). Next-day appointments available.
Quotes From Others’ Experiences of Postpartum Depression
- “Do I wish I had never endured postpartum depression? Absolutely. But to deny the experience is to deny who I am.” –Bryce Dallas Howard
- “Postpartum depression makes a woman feel like she is in the grip of something dreaded and dark, and it’s scary. . . but she’s likely because she can’t explain it!” –Judy Dippel
- “Honestly, sometimes I still think I have to deal with [postpartum depression]. I think people need to talk about it more because it’s almost like the fourth trimester, it’s part of the pregnancy. I remember one day, I couldn’t find Olympia’s bottle and I got so upset I started crying… because I wanted to be perfect for her.” –Serena Williams
- “It had been quite a difficult pregnancy — I hadn’t been very well throughout it — so by the time William arrived it was a great relief because it was all peaceful again, and I was well for a time. Then I was unwell with postnatal depression, which no one ever discusses, postnatal depression, you have to read about it afterwards, and that in itself was a bit of a difficult time. You’d wake up in the morning feeling you didn’t want to get out of bed, you felt misunderstood and just very, very low in yourself. … I received a great deal of treatment, but I knew in myself that actually what I needed was space and time to adapt to all the different roles that had come my way. I knew I could do it, but I needed people to be patient and give me the space to do it.” –Diana, Princess of Wales
- “I thought I was going to avoid postpartum depression. When I gave birth, the doctor told me about postpartum, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m doing good right now, I don’t think that’s going to happen.’ But out of nowhere, the world was heavy on my shoulders.” –Cardi B
- “I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy, and I think I did go through postpartum depression. I was trying to stay positive when it felt like my whole world had flipped upside down. Creating a human takes a toll on women’s bodies. Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough love or patience about that.” –Danielle Brooks
- “I didn’t have postpartum [depression] the first time, so I didn’t understand it because I was like, ‘I feel great!’ The second time, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa, I see what people talk about now. I understand.’ It’s a different type of overwhelming with the second. I really got under the cloud.” –Drew Barrymore
- “I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son, and it frightened me. … My knowledge of postpartum — or postnatal, as we call it in England — is that you don’t want to be with your child; you’re worried you might hurt your child; you’re worried you weren’t doing a good job. But I was obsessed with my child. I felt very inadequate; I felt like I’d made the worst decision of my life. … It can come in many different forms.” –Adele
Quotes From Moms About the Highs and Lows of Motherhood
- “Motherhood: The only place you can experience heaven and hell at the same time.” –Anonymous
- “Bad moments don’t make bad mamas.” –Lysa Terkeurst
- “Postpartum is a quest back to yourself. Alone in your body again. You will never be the same, you are stronger than you were.” –Amethyst Joy
- “There will be so many times you feel like you’ve failed. But in the eyes, heart and mind of your child, you are super mom.” –Stephanie Precourt
- “Enjoy every single moment. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the not-so-glamorous moments. And thank God through it all.” –Meghan Matt
- “Having kids is wonderful, and life changing, and rarely what you’re prepared for. I love my children more than anything in the world. But like a lot of women, I too struggled with postpartum depression after my first baby was born. I got help, and made it through, and every day since has been the best gift I could ever have asked for. To those of you going through this, know that you’re not alone and that it really does get better.” –Sarah Michelle Gellar
Best-In-Class Therapists for Depression
Depression doesn’t have to continue to control your life. Get the support of a Jimini Health therapist. Join them for video sessions and a personalized continuous care plan, exclusively from Jimini. Combining the heart and experience of top therapists with the consistency of clinically-informed AI exercises has shown to be twice as effective as traditional counseling.
Starting at $200 per session (insurance not yet available). Next-day appointments available.
Quotes About the Importance of Mothers
- “Mothers reflect God’s loving presence on earth.” –William R. Webb
- “A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, ‘where mother is.’” –Keith L. Brooks
- “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” –George Washington
Quotes About Having Courage
- “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you’ll ever know.” –A.A. Milne
- “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” –Nora Ephron
- “We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.” –Laura Stavoe Harm
- “It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.” –Confucius
- “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
- “Courage allows the successful woman to fail – and to learn powerful lessons from the failure – so that in the end, she didn’t fail at all.” –Maya Angelou
Hopeful Quotes for Postpartum Depression
- “It will get better and it will get worse. As so long as you have a beating heart in your chest, the sun will come up tomorrow and you will get to try again.” –Jamie Lynn Hutchings
- “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and Happiness ahead-A lot of it.” –Jeffrey R Holland
- “Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” –Leonard Cohen
- “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.” –Doe Zantamata
- “The place of true healing is a fierce place. It’s a giant place. It’s a place of monstrous beauty and endless dark and glimmering light. And you have to work really, really, really hard to get there, but you can do it.” –Cheryl Strayed
- “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” –Christopher Reeve
Finding a Therapist for Postpartum Depression
If you’re experiencing postpartum depression, you don’t have to go through it on your own. Depression treatment, whether through therapy or medication, can make a huge difference in how you feel. Ask your doctor about referring you to a mental health professional, or use an online therapist directory to find someone who specializes in postpartum depression.
Additional Resources
To help our readers take the next step in their mental health journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy is compensated for marketing by the companies included below.
Online Therapy
BetterHelp – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. BetterHelp has over 30,000 therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $65 per week and is FSA/HSA eligible by most providers. Take a free online assessment and get matched with the right therapist for you. Free Assessment
Therapy for Depression & Medication Management
Brightside Health – If you’re struggling with depression, finding the right medication can make a difference. Brightside Health treatment plans start at $95 per month. Following a free online evaluation and receiving a prescription, you can get FDA approved medications delivered to your door. Free Assessment
Best-In-Class Therapists for Depression
Jimini Health – Depression doesn’t have to continue to control your life. Get the support of a Jimini Health therapist. Join them for video sessions and a personalized continuous care plan, exclusively from Jimini. Combining the heart and experience of top therapists with the consistency of clinically-informed AI exercises has shown to be twice as effective as traditional counseling. Starting at $200 per session (insurance not yet available). Next-day appointments available. Visit Jimini Health
Ketamine Therapy for Depression
Better U – offers personalized ketamine therapy with 1-on-1 coaching, all from the comfort of your own home. Address the root cause of depression and live a more fulfilling life. Start Your Free Assessment
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Online Depression Test
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