1. Postpartum Depression Slideshow Pictures
2. Understanding Depression Pictures
3. Depression Tips Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Vitamins: While postpartum depression in the United States is rarely related to nutritional problems, it is probably a good idea to continue to take prenatal vitamins and iron after delivery.

Antidepressants: Drugs such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), or venlafaxine (Effexor) may be needed for as long as a year (possibly longer). Other medications that might be used include lithium or valproic acid (Depakote).

Hormone therapy: Estrogen, often in combination with an antidepressant, sometimes helps with postpartum depression. Some women also need thyroid hormone treatment.

Other still unproven therapies include the use of bright light and nutritional therapy (especially increasing omega-3 free fatty acids). What some refer to as natural remedies, these therapies have not shown that they are effective substitutes for more conventional interventions.

If you are breastfeeding, medicine you take can be passed to your baby. Some antidepressants can be used safely with little risk to your baby and are therefore viable treatments while breastfeeding.

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