Postpartum Depression: 12 Ways to Take Care of Yourself
10/2026 | By: Anna Allshouse, LGPC (She/Her)
Postpartum depression can make an already overwhelming transition feel even harder. You may be struggling to recognize yourself, feeling overwhelmed by things that used to feel manageable, or wondering why you aren’t enjoying this time the way you thought you would. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Here are 12 ways to support yourself while navigating postpartum depression.
1. Consider Working with a Therapist
A therapist who specializes in postpartum mental health can help you make sense of what you're feeling, build coping strategies, and give you a space to process this difficult transition. Postpartum depression is treatable, and therapy is often one of the best places to start.
2. Get Outside When You Can
Even a few minutes of fresh air and sunlight can shift how you feel. It doesn't have to be a long walk or a full outing. Simply stepping outside with the baby counts.
3. Lower the Bar
Postpartum often comes with unspoken pressure to bounce back quickly, to parent, work, and keep the house running as if nothing has changed. But something has changed. You're adjusting to a brand-new person in your life, and it's okay if your days don't look the way they used to. Let "good enough" be enough for a while – because it is.
4. Accept Help, and Be Specific About What You Need
"Let me know if you need anything" is easy to say and often tricky to act on. Try asking directly for help instead by requesting someone to bring dinner, hold the baby while you shower, throw in a load of laundry, or simply sit with you while you rest.
5. Move Gently and Nourish Yourself
Your body is doing a lot right now, and taking care of it can make a real difference in how you feel. That doesn't mean a strict workout routine or a meal plan. When you're depressed and caring for a newborn, warm meals are sometimes missed and days blur together. Aim for something small and doable: a regular nourishing meal, a walk, a stretch. It's about giving your body a little steadiness while you work on feeling better.
6. Make Room for Your Identity Outside of Being a Parent
Music, a book, coffee with a friend, actually getting dressed, a hobby you used to love - these small things aren't selfish or indulgent. Rather, they remind you that you're still in there.
7. Notice the Pressure to Do Everything "Right"
Feeding, sleep schedules, milestones, birth experiences, when to return to work- there are so many chances to second-guess yourself. Add in social media and endless opinions, and it can be hard to know what actually feels right for you and your family. In therapy, we can work together to separate what truly matters to you from what you feel like you’re “supposed” to be doing.
8. Talk Honestly About the Hard Parts
You don't have to only share the cute or funny moments. Saying "today was really hard" to someone you trust can change how alone you feel.
9. Permit Yourself to Change the Plan
Feeding choices, childcare, routines, expectations: you're allowed to change course as you learn what works for you and your baby. That's not failure. That's following your intuition and learning.
10. Protect Your Sleep Where You Can
This doesn't have to mean "sleep when the baby sleeps," advice that rarely works in real life. It might mean asking your partner or a family member to take a shift, protecting one longer stretch of sleep, or talking to your provider if you're struggling to sleep even when you get the chance.
11. Build Your Support Team
Your OB/GYN, pediatrician, lactation consultant, pelvic floor PT, and psychiatric provider can all play a role in your care. For some people, medication is part of treatment, including while breastfeeding. That's a conversation worth having openly with your provider rather than ruling it out on your own.
12. Join a Postpartum Support Group
There's something powerful about being in a room (or on a Zoom call) with other people who just get it, who you can be completely honest with about the hard, un-Instagrammable parts. Connecting with other moms who are in the same season of life can ease the isolation that so often comes with postpartum depression, and it gives you a place to speak honestly without having to explain yourself.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
If any of this sounds familiar, or you're not sure whether what you're feeling is postpartum depression or simply a really hard adjustment, that's exactly the kind of thing worth talking through with someone. You don't need to wait until things feel unmanageable to reach out.
At Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy, we work with people navigating postpartum depression and the broader shift into parenthood, and we'd be glad to support you through it. Reach out to learn more or schedule a session.