for the Support Team

*Most of this information is taken from postpartumdads.org.  While the language used here assumes a traditional, nuclear family, we know that families come in a variety of forms.  In fact, our families all look different.  This information will be helpful, no matter what your family picture looks like.  PPRC resources are available to all types of families.  Don’t hesitate to call, if you or a family member needs help.

What happened to the woman I love?
While more than ten percent of new families are experiencing PPD, your experience may seem isolating and lonely, but you are not alone. This is not your fault. Your family will be well again. To learn more about supporting your partner, visit postpartumdads.org.

Top Recommendations (adapted from postpartumdads.org)

1. Encourage your partner to attend PPRC’s support group. Call our warmline at 1.866.363.1300 or 913.677.1300 for more information. Support groups can offer valuable referrals as well as an opportunity to talk with our specially trained volunteers, who have survived PPD themselves.
2. Get a referral to a doctor that is trained to deal with PPD. Ask your pediatrician, family doctor, ob/gyn, or PPRC for recommendations. Finding someone you and your wife both trust and feel comfortable with is crucial for recovery.
3. Be prepared for a long recovery with setbacks along the way. PPD is not something that can be fixed overnight. It may take a few weeks or it may take a few years for your wife to recover and for your family to heal.
4. Attend as many doctor appointments as possible. This will not only demonstrate to your wife how much you care about her but it will also give you a chance to communicate with the doctor and hear the doctor’s instructions. Don’t assume that your wife is going to be open with her doctor, or that she is going to comprehend or trust what he tells her.
5. Continue treatment even when she starts feeling better. While discontinuing treatment is very tempting once she starts feeling better it can be very dangerous. The chances of relapse are much higher if treatment is stopped too early.
6. Get help for yourself and your family. Don’t let the stigma of depression keep you from sharing with others what is going on. There are many people out there willing to help people and they just need to be asked.
7. Love your wife. Be tender, be supportive. Believe her and believe in her. Do not assume she is “over-reacting” or being “unreasonable.”
8. Be her lifeline. You may be the one who needs to make the call about whether she needs medical attention. She may not be able to ask for it herself.
9. Ask questions. A survivor of postpartum psychosis told us, “My husband says that if he knew then what he knows now he would have asked many more questions.” Can you read? Can you follow a TV plot? Are you hearing things? Etc. If your partner is unable to comprehend basic plots or is hearing or seeing things, this is a medical emergency. Take her to the ER immediately.