Transitioning to life with a newborn can trigger a range of emotions and feelings for both partners. About 80% of birthing people experience “baby blues” in the first two weeks postpartum. You may feel fluctuating feelings of excitement and sadness, which can be confusing, but just know it is normal and caused by rapid hormonal changes.
If these feelings last more than two weeks, you are not able to function because of them, or you have persistent or severe negative feelings, contact your doctor immediately. Don’t feel ashamed or alone, postpartum mood disorders are much more common than many people expect and can be treated.
Video available in Urdu, Arabic, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish here.
Fact Sheet available in English, Urdu, Somali, Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese
Mental Health Care Providers
Find a psychotherapist here.
Perinatal Mental Health professionals by zip code at Schatten & Licht e. V.
Psychosocial counseling for pregnant people and mothers in distress via Die Initiative Frauen Gesundheit Familien Zukunft e. V.
ISPPM e.V. directory of professionals specialized in Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology
Emotional First Aid (Emotionelle Erste Hilfe) trained counselors and baby-parent therapists
Peer Groups
Afloat offers a Pregnancy Support Group & Black Moms Connect Group
PostPartum Support International offers 14 different support groups for different needs, including NICU parents, dads, trans parents, and parents of multiples.
A Cologne-based practice offers both an online and in-person support group for men following a traumatic birth or experiencing post-partum depression.
Who Else Can Help?
Your doctor may be able to prescribe you post-partum help covered fully or partially by insurance. Ask your care provider about Haushaltshilfe, Mütterpflegerin, or a post-partum doula.
Schreiambulanzen for fussy babies.
Wochenbett-Depression Hotline: 01577 / 47 42 654 on Mondays and Thursdays.
TelefonSeelsorge International Hotlines available in many languages
NummergegenKummer parents hotline. 0800 / 111 0 550 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 – 17 and Tuesday, Thursday from 9 – 19.
Deutsche Depressionshilfe resources for managing depression, available in 16 languages.
Psychosocial Support for Migrants and Refugees in Berlin
TransVer will work with you to find the right offer of help, such as psychiatric help, support in everyday life, employment and occupational therapy measures, places for social contacts, etc. On request we can contact these institutions, arrange an appointment and, in some cases, accompany you. The main goal is that you find suitable psychosocial support. Staff speaks German, Polish, English, French, Romanian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and has interpreters for all other languages. This is a free service.