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Life after giving birth can be challenging for many parents. The platforms listed below offer dedicated care to birthing parents. Along with our expert insight, see which services could work best for you.
- Best overall: Talkspace | Skip to Review
- Best live chat: BetterHelp | Skip to Review
- Best women-owned mental health service: LunaJoy | Skip to review
- Best for psychiatric services: Brightside | Skip to Review
- Best free service: 7 Cups | Skip to Review
- Best for group therapy: Postpartum Support International | Skip to Review
- Best for additional resources: Online-Therapy.com | Skip to Review
If you’re experiencing feelings of sadness and hopelessness after giving birth, you’re not alone. According to the
In addition to postpartum depression, you may experience postpartum anxiety, psychosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth. Therapy and medications can help, but the responsibilities of caring for a baby may make it difficult to get to a doctor’s office. Online therapy can be a good option to get the support you need.
• $240 for initial medication management appointment intake and $150 for each follow-up.
• counseling less than $40/week
To make our selection of the best online therapy options for postpartum depression, we consulted healthcare professionals for their recommendations.
Some key factors taken into account include:
- Pricing: Therapy can be pricey, so we tried to include a variety of online postpartum therapy platforms to suit people’s budgets.
- Insurance: Some platforms may accept insurance, but it mostly depends on your network. We added some options for people who want their appointments covered by their health insurance.
- Vetting: Every product and service, including those on our list, has been vetted for business and medical standards by Healthline’s editorial team. Read more about our product selection process here.
- Privacy: When using online therapy, it’s important for your data and information to be properly protected. Each platform on our list has a robust protection policy in place to ensure your personal details remain private.
We also consulted medical studies and resources to back up our information. We explored a range of treatment options at a variety of prices so people can access the services they need.
Postpartum depression involves significant symptoms of depression after the birth of a baby.
“The symptoms can cause new moms to experience depression and to have fears and worries about their abilities as a mother, and to feel detached from, not interested in, or fearful of their baby,” said clinical psychologist Erin O’Callaghan, director of therapy for Brightside.
People who are pregnant can also experience depressive symptoms, and that’s called prenatal depression.
Together, prenatal depression and postpartum depression are called perinatal depression.
According to O’Callaghan, people who have perinatal depression will begin to experience symptoms either during pregnancy or within 4 weeks after delivery, though symptoms can also show up months after giving birth. Symptoms can last for several months or longer.
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“Risk factors include a history of depression, anxiety, or other mood disorder (both personal or family history), limited support in caring for your baby, financial or marital stress, medical complications during the pregnancy or during the delivery, challenges with or feelings of inadequacy related to breastfeeding,” said Dr. Gareen Hamalian, a psychiatrist with Doctor on Demand.
Other factors include:
- experiencing recent major life changes, including losses, moves, or mandated bedrest
- giving birth to multiple babies
- having infants who need to remain in the hospital due to medical issues
- experiencing a complicated fertility journey
- having an untreated medical issue, such as a thyroid disorder or diabetes
If you have risk factors for postpartum depression, you may wish to speak with a therapist even if you are not showing symptoms of depression.
Make sure to check out these articles, if you’d like to learn more about perinatal depression:
- What It’s Like to Have Prenatal Depression — Yes, I Said Prenatal
- Why More Women Are Becoming Depressed During Pregnancy
- Why We Need to Talk About Depression During Pregnancy
- What to Know About Treating Depression During Pregnancy
- Can Men Have Postpartum Depression? The Answer Is Yes
- How Long Does Postpartum Depression Last?
- 6 Myths About Postpartum Depression
- A Spouse’s Guide to Understanding Postpartum Depression
Common symptoms of postpartum depression include:
- crying or feeling sad for unknown reasons
- feeling exhausted but not being able to sleep
- overeating or losing your appetite
- experiencing sudden mood changes
- feeling out of control
- being unable to concentrate or make simple decisions
- having no interest in things you used to enjoy
- feeling disconnected from your baby
- feeling overwhelmed, guilty, and hopeless
- withdrawing because you’re afraid to open up to anyone in case they think you’re a bad parent
- wanting to escape from everyone and everything
- having intrusive thoughts about harming yourself or your baby
Online therapy isn’t for emergencies
If you’re having a mental health crisis or experiencing feelings or intentions of violence toward yourself or others, or if someone you know is expressing those feelings, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or call 911.
Online therapy has the potential to help many people with postpartum depression. Not only are there free and reduced price options available, but you can connect with a therapist day or night thanks to text messaging and 24/7 chat options.
Even if you’re covered in baby mess, many online therapy platforms give you the option to go audio only or live chat, so you have the ability to speak with a therapist when you need it most. You won’t have to worry about rescheduling if the babysitter can’t make it either.
“Telepsychiatry and teletherapy have helped save lives,” said Dr. Leela R. Magavi, CMO of Mindpath Health. “Thanks to various technological platforms, we have been able to prescribe medications and provide therapy to patients in a safe manner.”
Teletherapy allows doctors to care for individuals who live in regions with limited therapists and resources. “Many women open up more as they feel comfortable and safe in their own home,” Magavi added.
Remember, if you’re worried about your mental health, or if your loved ones are expressing concerns about your mood, it’s important to get evaluated whether you choose to do it online or in person.
When picking the best online therapy platform for postpartum depression, you may want to consider the following factors:
- Pricing: You’ll want to determine a budget that best fits your financial situation and ensure that the platform you’re considering matches what you can spend. You’ll also want to compare any different packages available to get the best deal for your needs.
- Services offered: If you’re looking for group support, you may opt for a platform that highlights virtual support groups and forums. However, if you need medication and psychiatric services, you may want to pick a platform that has both talk therapy and psychiatry.
- Insurance: If your insurance network covers teletherapy appointments, you’ll want to confirm that a platform accepts your insurance. There’s often a phone number you can call or form you can fill out to double check this.
- Whether you can change or pick your therapist: Customer reviews can offer insight into how much control you’ll have choosing your own therapist. Since it can take a few tries to find the right therapist, you may also wish to see what customers are saying about their experiences switching clinicians.
There are many benefits to online therapy for those with postpartum mental health challenges.
Online therapy can offer access to specialists, such as psychiatrists trained in reproductive health, who might not be available in your immediate area. It can also help you save on travel and babysitter costs, even if you have an expert locally.
Especially for parents of a newborn, being able to stay close to your baby in an environment that feels safe can be important. When your baby’s schedule is constantly changing, the flexibility to message and communicate with a therapist 24/7 can enable you to take advantage of therapy on the days you need it, but would otherwise miss out.
If you’re worried that online therapy won’t be as effective as in person therapy, a
Whether your insurance will cover online therapy depends on a number of factors. It’s best to contact your benefit provider to find out whether a particular service is covered by your plan. Some platforms readily accept insurance, while others are transparent about requiring payment upfront.
If you’re unsure of your coverage, contact your insurance provider and ask about a particular treatment or service.
Studies have shown that online therapy is a highly effective option. In fact, online therapy offers several benefits that a face-to-face session doesn’t have.
Communicating with a therapist via video or phone is convenient and comfortable — perks that are especially helpful for a new parent — and many people find that it’s easier to talk about difficult subjects from a distance.
For the most part, online therapy is just like regular therapy. The big difference is that online therapy happens over a video call or a phone call instead of in the therapist’s office.
Your therapist will send you a link for the video call that you can access from your computer or phone. At the time of the appointment, you’ll log on, and your therapist will handle the session from there.
Postpartum depression affects many people. If you’re feeling hopeless or having a hard time with feelings of sadness after the birth of a baby, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Help is available. With access to free resources to paid therapy sessions, those dealing with the symptoms of postpartum depression can find support, advice, and treatment online — fitting around your busy schedule.