PSI HelpLinePostpartum Support International — call or text 1-800-944-4773. Free, confidential, English & Spanish.In crisis? Call or text 988.
You’re not alone, and this is not your fault
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders — including postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, perinatal OCD, and postpartum psychosis — are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth. They can start during pregnancy or anytime in the first year after birth. They are medical conditions, not character flaws, and they are highly treatable.
This hub covers what these conditions look like, how they differ from normal adjustment, when to seek help, and where to find support in New Hampshire. Start with the private self-screening, or go straight to the topic you need.
AI-assisted content — clinician review required. The content on this page and its sub-pages was assembled with AI assistance using evidence-based sources. It is intended for education and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
What you need to know
1 in 5
birthing parents experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder — making them the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth.
Often missed
Only about half of those affected are identified, and even fewer receive adequate treatment. Stigma, normalization ("it's just hormones"), and lack of screening are the main barriers.
Highly treatable
With appropriate support — therapy, medication when indicated, peer support, and practical help — the vast majority of perinatal mood disorders resolve. Earlier treatment tends to go better.
Not just moms
Non-birthing partners, adoptive parents, and parents via surrogacy can also develop perinatal mood disorders. The transition to parenthood is the risk factor, not pregnancy alone.
Conditions covered
These conditions overlap and can co-occur, but understanding how they differ helps you and your provider find the right support.
Postpartum depression
More than the baby blues
Persistent sadness, emptiness, or numbness that goes beyond the first-two-week adjustment — affecting your ability to function, bond, or feel like yourself. It's the most common perinatal mood disorder, affecting roughly 1 in 7 birthing parents.
Read the guidePostpartum anxiety
Racing worry that won't stop
Constant, intrusive worry about the baby's safety, your own adequacy, or catastrophic what-ifs — often paired with physical symptoms like racing heart, insomnia, and an inability to sit still. It's at least as common as postpartum depression and frequently co-occurs with it.
Read the guidePerinatal OCD
Intrusive thoughts you can't shake
Unwanted, distressing thoughts or images — often about harm coming to the baby — paired with compulsive checking, avoidance, or mental rituals. The thoughts are ego-dystonic: they horrify you, which is actually a sign you'd never act on them.
Read the guidePostpartum psychosis
A psychiatric emergency
A rare but serious condition (1–2 per 1,000 births) involving confusion, hallucinations, delusions, or rapid mood swings — typically emerging in the first 1–2 weeks postpartum. This is a medical emergency requiring immediate help.
Read the guidePartner & family support
It affects the whole family
Partners can develop their own perinatal mood disorders, and the entire family system is affected when a parent is struggling. Knowing what to watch for, how to support without fixing, and when to get your own help matters as much as the birthing parent's treatment.
Read the guideGuides & planning
Beyond the conditions themselves: what to expect at each stage, how to navigate the big decisions, and where NH’s actual doors are.
Pregnancy, trimester by trimester
It can start before birth
What's emotionally normal in each trimester (and the fourth), what to raise with your provider, and how to plan ahead if you have known risk factors.
Read the guideMedication safety overview
A balance, not a checklist
How medication decisions during pregnancy and breastfeeding actually get made, the questions to bring to your prescriber, and where the trustworthy evidence lives. No drug advice — a map for the conversation.
Read the guideReturn-to-work prep
A known stress point
A mental health preparation guide for going back to work: logistics to sort in advance, your rights in general terms, scripts for the hard conversations, and warning signs through the transition.
Read the guideNH provider directory
Curated, not exhaustive
The helplines, specialized programs, therapist directories, and free peer supports that actually serve New Hampshire parents — every entry somewhere you can call.
Read the guideBaby blues vs. something more
Baby blues (normal adjustment)
- Starts within first 2–3 days postpartum
- Mood swings, tearfulness, irritability
- Feeling overwhelmed or anxious
- Resolves on its own within 2 weeks
- Affects up to 80% of new parents
When to seek help
- Symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks
- Symptoms intensify rather than fade
- Difficulty caring for yourself or the baby
- Frightening or intrusive thoughts
- Feeling disconnected, numb, or hopeless
- Any thoughts of harming yourself or the baby
Crisis & support resources
If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available right now. You don’t need to be in immediate danger to call — these lines are for anyone who needs support. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Postpartum Support International (PSI) HelpLine
1-800-944-4773Call or text. Available in English and Spanish.
NH Rapid Response Access Point
833-710-647724/7 access to NH mobile crisis teams and behavioral health services.
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
1-833-852-62621-833-TLC-MAMA. Free, confidential, 24/7, English and Spanish.
Finding care in New Hampshire
If you think you may have a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, your first step is usually your OB/GYN, midwife, or primary care provider — they can screen you, start treatment, and refer you to a specialist if needed. Many NH providers now routinely screen with the EPDS at postpartum visits, but you can bring it up at any appointment.