Postpartum Depression Counselling in South Delhi
Counselling for new mothers experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, in person at Anand Niketan in South Delhi and online — which for a mother with a small baby is often the only workable option.
“Counselling for new mothers experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, in person at Anand Niketan in South Delhi and online — which for a mother with a small baby is often the only workable option.”
Treatment & Support
Baby Blues, or Something More
Most women experience some low mood in the first two weeks — tearfulness, irritability, feeling overwhelmed. That is common, hormonally driven, and it lifts.
Postpartum depression is different in duration and depth. It persists beyond two weeks and typically includes some of:
It can begin any time in the first year, not only immediately after birth. It also occurs after a difficult birth, after a NICU stay, after a miscarriage or stillbirth, and following adoption.
- «Persistent low mood, or a flatness where feeling should be
- «Difficulty feeling connected to the baby, and terrible guilt about that
- «Anxiety that circles the baby's breathing, feeding, weight, safety
- «Intrusive thoughts about harm coming to the baby, which are frightening and much more common than anyone admits
- «Sleeping badly even when the baby sleeps
- «A sense of being a fraud, or of having ruined your own life
- «Loss of interest in everything that used to be yours
The Intrusive Thoughts Nobody Mentions
A great many new mothers experience sudden, vivid, unwanted thoughts about the baby being harmed — dropped, drowned, hurt. These arrive with horror attached and are usually kept entirely secret, because the mother concludes she must be dangerous.
In the overwhelming majority of cases these are anxiety-driven intrusive thoughts, not intent, and they are treatable. The distress is what distinguishes them.
They should still be spoken about with a professional rather than carried alone, and there are rare presentations — postpartum psychosis, which involves losing touch with reality and requires immediate psychiatric care — that need to be ruled out. That is a reason to talk, not to stay quiet.
The Delhi Context
Several things specific to this setting make postpartum harder to name.
A house full of relatives is presented as support, and often is, but it can also mean no privacy, constant instruction, and no permission to be anything other than grateful. Confinement practices keep some women indoors for weeks with almost no daylight and no company of their own age.
There is the pressure of everyone's opinion on feeding, and the shame constructed around not breastfeeding. There is disappointment about the baby's sex, which still occurs and is devastating to a mother who has just given birth. And there is the working mother's version — maternity leave ending, a baby left with staff or in-laws, and guilt from every direction.
What the Work Involves
Talking, first, in a setting where nothing has to be performed. A great many mothers say the first session was the first time they had said any of it aloud.
Practical intervention on sleep and recovery, because a mother who has not slept for three months cannot think her way out of anything.
Working with the family where useful — partners and mothers-in-law frequently want to help and have no idea what would help.
Referral where indicated. Moderate to severe postpartum depression often needs medication, and there are options compatible with breastfeeding. That is a psychiatrist's decision, and you will be referred rather than discouraged.
25+
Years
5000+
Lives Touched
30+
Modalities
15+
Countries
Postpartum Depression Counselling Across Delhi NCR
Questions & Answers
Everything you need to know before booking your first session.
Can I bring the baby to a session?+
Yes. Babies are welcome and there is no expectation that you arrange childcare in order to get help. Online sessions also work well and can be paused when needed.
Does postpartum depression mean I am a bad mother?+
No. It is a recognised medical condition with hormonal, physical and situational causes. It is not a verdict on your character or your attachment to your child.
I keep having frightening thoughts about the baby. Should I say so?+
Yes, and it can be said here without alarm. Intrusive thoughts of this kind are common in postpartum anxiety, and the horror you feel about them is the very thing that distinguishes them from intent.
Will you tell my family?+
No. Sessions are confidential. Where involving your husband or mother-in-law would help, that is discussed with you and done only with your agreement.
Is it too late — my baby is nine months old?+
No. Postpartum depression can begin at any point in the first year and can persist untreated for much longer. Coming late is common and changes nothing about how treatable it is.
What if I need urgent help?+
If you are having thoughts of ending your life, or you feel detached from reality, this needs immediate attention. Tele-MANAS is on 14416 and operates around the clock across India; KIRAN is on 1800-599-0019. In an emergency, call 112.
Related Reading
