Mental Health

How Long After Birth Can Postpartum Depression Start?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, you might feel shame or guilt that you’re not feeling better. But you’re not alone.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is pretty common: 1 in 8 mothers experience postpartum depression. It’s also not restricted to the partner who gave birth; research has shown that 1 in 10 fathers and co-parents experience postpartum depression.

How long after birth can postpartum depression start? Most postpartum depression cases happen within the first 3 months after birth.

However, symptoms can start anytime in the first year after giving birth. Symptoms can be hard to miss at this time because you’re so caught up in parenting and other life stresses, so it’s important to be aware of what to look for. This can help you or your loved one seek treatment sooner to help you feel better more quickly.

How Long After Birth Can Postpartum Depression Start?

Many new moms feel the “baby blues” in the days after birth. During this time, they may feel low, cry easily, and feel anxious.

However, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the baby blues will resolve in a couple of days or weeks without treatment. Postpartum depression lasts longer and causes more intense symptoms that can interfere with your daily life. Because you and your baby are going through so many changes throughout the first year of their lives, different factors can influence the postpartum depression onset timeline.

Immediate Onset: First Days to Weeks After Birth

After you give birth, your hormone levels drop rapidly, which plays a factor in developing postpartum depression soon after birth. Postpartum depression can be hard to tell apart from the baby blues if it happens soon after birth.

However, postpartum depression lasts longer than two weeks and comes with more severe symptoms. Postpartum depression also makes it difficult to complete everyday tasks, such as caring for yourself and your baby.

While anyone postpartum can develop postpartum depression in the first few days to weeks after birth, there are a few risk factors. If you had a traumatic birth or your baby needs to spend time in the NICU, then this added stress can raise your risk. Sleep deprivation, difficulty with feeding, and feeling isolated or having a lack of support can also contribute.

Early Postpartum: First Three Months After Delivery

Early-onset postpartum depression refers to depressive symptoms that occur in the first three months after birth, which is sometimes referred to as the “fourth trimester.” During this time, you’re undergoing significant changes: adjusting to life with a newborn, recovering from birth, and experiencing fluctuating hormones.

Because of these changes, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a regular adjustment to parenthood and postpartum depression. One of the major differences is how long the symptoms last. With sleep deprivation caused by being up with your baby, you might feel tired, but this fatigue will usually improve with rest, self-care, or getting help from your partner or support system to reduce some of your responsibilities.

With postpartum depression, fatigue can seem never-ending. Your low energy levels can make it difficult to care for your baby and practice basic self-care for yourself.

It’s also normal to experience some mood changes as you adjust to having a new baby. You might have worries about your baby’s health and development. Or, you might feel teary thinking about how much your life has changed.

These worries and emotions tend to come and go. With postpartum depression, these emotions and thoughts can seem overwhelming. They can impact your ability to care for your baby, sleep, and do the things you enjoy.

Delayed Onset: Six Months to One Year After Birth

Sometimes, individuals don’t experience postpartum depression right away. Instead, they might not experience symptoms until between six months and a year after birth. Some studies have shown that this isn’t all that unusual.

Nearly 3 in 5 women with postpartum depression symptoms at 9-10 months had no symptoms at 2-6 months. This shows why it’s important to continue to check in with yourself or your loved one through the first year.

It can sometimes be difficult to notice postpartum depression symptoms in yourself. You might find it helpful to ensure that your partner or another member of your support system understands what symptoms to look for.

You can also let this person know ahead of time how you’d like them to approach you if they notice symptoms. Another option is to ask your doctor to regularly screen you for postpartum depression throughout the first year. This includes answering a few questions about how you are feeling.

If you’re still experiencing postpartum depression symptoms after a year, you’re not alone. 5% of women experience persistent postpartum depression symptoms for over 3 years. Your doctor and therapist can help create a plan to help ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Factors That Influence When Postpartum Depression Starts

Hormonal changes, life stressors, and sleep deprivation all play a role in when postpartum depression starts.

Hormonal Changes

When you’re pregnant, estrogen and progesterone levels rise. However, once you give birth, these hormone levels drop to their pre-pregnancy levels within 24 hours. This can lead to mood swings and depression. It is a key reason for early-onset postpartum depression in the days and weeks after birth.

Thyroid hormones can also play a role. After giving birth, some people may have postpartum thyroiditis. This is when the immune system wrongly attacks the thyroid. Initially, this makes the thyroid overactive, causing symptoms like increased anxiety, weight loss, insomnia, and irritability.

Then, it can cause an underactive thyroid, including symptoms like fatigue, dry skin, low mood, and difficulty concentrating. These thyroid changes can play a role in delayed postpartum depression.

Life Stressors

Life stressors can also impact your chances of developing postpartum depression. Certain stressors can lead to early-onset postpartum depression.

These include normal recovery from birth, having a traumatic birth, your baby needing NICU care, or facing breastfeeding challenges. Other stressors, like financial difficulties, housing issues, or relationship problems, can build up over time and contribute to later-onset postpartum depression symptoms.

Sleep Deprivation

When you have a newborn, it can be common to not get enough sleep. This sleep deprivation can trigger depressive symptoms—or exacerbate what you’re already feeling. However, if your baby isn’t sleeping well past the newborn stage, then your sleep deprivation might have a cumulative effect. This can lead to later-onset postpartum depression signs.

Recognizing Symptoms at Different Stages

Experiencing postpartum depression can be scary and lead to feelings of guilt and shame. But postpartum depression is treatable, and early, targeted treatment can help you to feel better sooner. This is why it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms.

Early Warning Signs in the First Month

Early warning signs of postpartum depression are often confused with the baby blues. However, postpartum depression symptoms don’t go away after two weeks and can be severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Potential warning signs include:

Feeling down and unable to recover from this feeling
Crying excessively, often with no known cause
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Eating more or less than usual
Increased anxiety or irritability
Difficulty bonding with your baby
Feeling emotionally numb and unable to experience joy or happiness that your baby is doing well
Not enjoying having visitors and emotionally withdrawing from your support system
Feeling overwhelmed, even by basic decisions

Mid-Stage Symptoms at 3-6 Months Postpartum

Because you are past the newborn stage and settling into parenthood, mid-stage symptoms are often more recognizable as depression. Possible symptoms include:

Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
Difficulty bonding with your baby
Anxiety and irritability
Feeling inadequate or like you are failing as a parent
Withdrawal from friends and family
Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities
Insomnia or excessive sleep
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating or “brain fog”

Late-Onset Depression Signs in Months 6-12

When you’re busy taking care of your baby, it can be easy to overlook signs of late-onset postpartum depression. Or, you might think that they’re normal signs of the changes associated with this stage of parenthood, like returning to work, weaning your baby, or ongoing sleep deprivation. Delayed postpartum depression signs include:

Persistent sadness or low mood
Excessive anxiety or irritability
Not enjoying activities previously enjoyed
Changes in sleep and appetite
Guilt or shame about feeling this way so long after having given birth
Showing frustration towards yourself or the people who you love
Feelings of failure or worthlessness
Fatigue and low energy
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Reduced sex drive or poor body image
Difficulty connecting with baby
Unexplained pains, headaches, or stomach issues

Getting Help: Where and When to Seek Support

It’s a good idea to seek support if your symptoms persist for longer than two weeks or if they are significantly interfering with your daily life. This may include having difficulty caring for yourself or your baby. Postpartum depression is unlikely to get better by itself, so taking the step of seeking support is a powerful way to care for both yourself and your family.

Emergency Signs That Require Immediate Attention

In some cases, you or a loved one may experience a mental health crisis that requires immediate attention. These include:

Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
Having hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) or delusions (believing things that aren’t real)
Extreme mood changes or agitation. These can be signs of postpartum psychosis, a rare condition that causes severe symptoms like paranoia and obsessions.

If you or someone you care about is experiencing these symptoms, call 911 or the Suicide and Crisis Line at 988.

Conclusion

Postpartum depression can feel overwhelming, and it’s common to have feelings of guilt about how you are feeling.

But many factors contribute to developing postpartum depression, including hormonal changes, life stressors, and sleep deprivation. While most people develop postpartum depression in the first 3 months after birth, it can develop anytime during the first year.

Being aware of this can help you monitor yourself or a loved one, so that you can seek help if needed.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2024, February). Postpartum depression. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/postpartum-depression

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Carlson, K., Mughal, S., Azhar, Y., & Siddiqui, W. (2025, January 22). Perinatal depression. In StatPearls (Internet). StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519070/

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Hantsoo, L. (2025, June 15). Postpartum mood disorders: What new moms need to know. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/postpartum-mood-disorders-what-new-moms-need-to-know

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Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, November 24). Postpartum depression – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20376617

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MedlinePlus. (2024, July 17). Postpartum depression. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007215.htm

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National Health Service. (2019, December 9). Postnatal depression. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-natal-depression/overview/

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Robbins, C. L., Ko, J. Y., D’Angelo, D. V., Salvesen von Essen, B., Bish, C. L., Kroelinger, C. D., Tevendale, H. D., Warner, L., & Barfield, W. (2023). Timing of postpartum depressive symptoms. Preventing Chronic Disease, 20, E103. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.230107

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UT Southwestern Medical Center. (2021, August 17). 1 in 10 dads experience postpartum depression, anxiety: How to spot the signs. Your Pregnancy Matters. https://utswmed.org/medblog/paternal-postpartum-depression/

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