Postpartum depression can affect new parents in the first year after their child’s birth, which is a particularly important time for bonding and development. It can happen to dads, surrogate parents, and adoptive parents as well as biological mothers. 

Receiving timely and effective treatment is not only good for your baby, but it can also improve your quality of life. Unfortunately, it’s not always realistic for new moms to leave home for several hours of treatment each day, especially when they’re adjusting to life with a newborn and managing their physical recovery on top of new emotional challenges.

However, there is hope that you can still get the help you need. Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) is helping more moms receive a high level of care in the months after their baby is born.

Postpartum depression affects about 13% of new moms in the United States, but this number can vary depending on race, ethnicity, and other factors. The total number of new moms with this condition has increased in recent years. This may be due to increased awareness and better diagnostic testing. However, it’s all the more reason to seek out a thorough assessment and get the care you need.

In this article, we’ll talk about six ways Virtual PHP helps moms receive effective postpartum depression treatments from home.

6 ways Virtual PHP can deliver effective postpartum depression treatments from home

Postpartum depression can look a bit different from typical depression. New moms need specialized treatment to manage their symptoms and fully recover. 

Besides typical depression symptoms, new moms may experience anxiety, worrying or feeling on edge, loss of interest in their baby, and thoughts of hurting themselves or their baby. While being there to care for your baby is important, your health and well-being are important, too.

Call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for immediate support.

Virtual PHP can help you come through this difficult time feeling more supported and more confident in your ability to care for yourself and your family.

The following are six ways Virtual PHP helps moms receive effective postpartum depression treatments from home:

• Getting intensive support during your most vulnerable time 

Recovering from labor and caring for a newborn at the same time is a lot for anyone to manage. With postpartum depression, it’s particularly important to stay in touch with people who understand. 

Virtual PHP includes weekly individual therapy sessions. It also connects you with a community of others who are working on their mental health from home.

• Accessing specialized treatment for postpartum challenges 

Postpartum depression is about more than your mental health. It can affect your ability to bond with your baby, cause problems with feeding and sleeping, and affect other roles in your life, such as at work or in your relationship with your partner. 

Personalized and comprehensive treatment will help you manage both the emotional impact of postpartum depression and its effects on your child and other areas of your life.

• Maintaining bonding time with your baby 

It bears repeating that bonding with your baby is one of the biggest challenges new parents face with postpartum depression. Your mood, your child’s needs and temperament, and other responsibilities are all factors that may impact your experience. 

Virtual PHP allows you to stay at home so you can establish your daily routines and take advantage of every opportunity to connect with your child. 

• Connecting with other new mothers who understand your experience 

Talking with other new parents can help you feel seen and validated in a powerful way. Virtual PHP is popular with new parents who are facing mental health challenges. 

We try to group new moms together in the same cohort whenever possible so you can support each other and have a more enriching treatment experience

• Learning coping strategies you can use immediately 

Postpartum depression isn’t just about feeling down or having low energy. Most moms have extreme and unpredictable highs and lows. 

In Virtual PHP, you’ll learn emotion regulation techniques and mindfulness practices to help you manage mood swings. Receiving treatment in your home environment means you’ll be able to start applying your new skills right away in your daily life.

• Coordinating care with your obstetrician and pediatrician 

Mental health treatment should be integrated with other forms of health care you’re receiving. If you’re breastfeeding, this may affect the medications you’ll be able to take. With your consent, our licensed clinicians can coordinate with other providers to help ensure continuity of care. 

Lightfully’s Virtual PHP helps moms recover from postpartum depression at home

Postpartum depression isn’t a personal failing. It’s a serious medical condition that responds well to intensive, evidence-based treatment. It takes a lot of courage for new moms to reach out for help, but you’re worth it. You deserve to feel secure and supported, and Virtual PHP can deliver the help you need when you need it most. 

At Lightfully, we provide personalized treatment for new parents who have postpartum depression. Our licensed clinicians use an approach called Precision Care Model (PCM) to combine evidence-based modalities into a weekly plan for each client. We help new moms take a proactive approach to maintaining their mental health by managing four core life processes: their thoughts, feelings, behaviors and emotions. 

Are you looking for support with postpartum depression? We can help. Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team today.