For women who are suffering from postpartum depression and need help now, there is a great hotline that I found at PPD Hope (www.ppdhope.com). The number is: (877) PPD-HOPE, or (877) 773-4673. I called it myself this evening just to check it out and make sure that a live person answers. Sure enough, a woman answered the line and confirmed that a live person answers 24 hours every day. You have options to receive free literature on PPD and/or get in touch with their peer support program.
The PPD Hope web site also offers a PPD screening test (http://www.ppdhope.com/screening.asp) that you can take on the site so you can quickly and easily find out if you might need medical assistance or counseling.
I think this is a fabulous resource, so I want to help spread the word. PPD Hope was created by the Family Mental Health Institute (FMHI), a non-profit based in Washington, DC. The FMHI is working to make postpartum depression screening a universal standard of care across the U.S. Federal legislation is in the works, however currently this issue is left in the hands of individual states. Hopefully one day in the near future, every new mom will be screened for PPD before she leaves the hospital with her new baby.