Labyrinth Psychiatry Group and TMS Center · Cranford, NJ
Postpartum Depression Treatment in Cranford, NJ
Postpartum depression is depression that starts in pregnancy or the year after birth, and it is treatable. Care starts with an evaluation, then usually therapy, medication, or both; TMS is a non-medication option when medication has not helped enough. Labyrinth’s Cranford team evaluates and treats adults with depression.
Labyrinth Psychiatry Group · Published · Clinical review by Dr. Salvatore G. Savatta pending
Who this page is for
New mothers in the first year, and the people worried about them.
Postpartum depression is a major depressive episode that usually starts after childbirth and can also begin late in pregnancy (FDA). It is not caused by anything a mother did or did not do (NIMH). In New Jersey, one in every eight to 10 women has postpartum depression within the first year after childbirth, miscarriage or stillbirth (NJ Department of Health).
Labyrinth treats adults. If you had a baby in the past year and feel low, anxious or numb most days, an evaluation in Cranford is a practical next step. If you are pregnant, call and ask whether an evaluation here fits, and keep your OB-GYN in the loop. Partners and family members can call the office to ask how to start.
Baby blues or postpartum depression?
The difference is how long it lasts and how hard it hits.
| Question | Baby blues | Postpartum depression |
|---|---|---|
| When it starts | About 3 days after birth (ACOG) | Any time in pregnancy or up to 1 year after birth; most often 1 to 3 weeks after birth (ACOG) |
| How long it lasts | A few days, up to 1 to 2 weeks (ACOG) | Longer than 2 weeks, and it generally does not get better without treatment (NIMH) |
| How it feels | Mild, short-lasting worry, unhappiness and exhaustion that come and go (NIMH) | Extreme sadness, anxiety and tiredness that make daily tasks hard, including caring for yourself or the baby (NIMH) |
| Treatment | Usually gets better without treatment (ACOG) | Therapy, medication, or both (NIMH). Call your OB-GYN or another clinician right away; do not wait for the postpartum checkup (ACOG) |
Signs to bring to your evaluation
What postpartum depression can look like.
Some mothers have a few of these, others have many. Any of them is a reason to see a health care provider (NIMH):
- Sad, anxious or “empty” mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks
- Feeling hopeless, guilty, worthless or helpless
- Irritability, frustration or restlessness
- Losing interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy
- Trouble sleeping even when the baby is asleep, waking early, or sleeping too much
- Changes in appetite or weight you did not plan
- Trouble concentrating, remembering or making decisions
- Trouble bonding with the baby, or constant doubts about caring for the baby
- Thoughts of death, of harming yourself or the baby, or of suicide
Anxiety often comes with it. About 10 percent of postpartum women have anxiety, on its own or with depression (NJ Department of Health).
Treatment options
From talk therapy to a 14-day pill to TMS.
Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are the evidence-based talk therapies for perinatal depression. CBT works on unhelpful thoughts and habits; IPT works on relationships, support and expectations (NIMH). Therapy at Labyrinth is described on the psychotherapy page.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants can treat perinatal depression alone or with therapy. They usually take 4 to 8 weeks to work, and sleep, appetite and concentration often improve before mood does (NIMH). They pass into breast milk, generally at very low levels (ACOG).
ZURZUVAE (zuranolone)
In August 2023 the FDA approved ZURZUVAE as the first pill for postpartum depression in adults (FDA). It is 50 mg once each evening with fat-containing food for 14 days, alone or with an oral antidepressant (label). Do not drive for at least 12 hours after each dose, and use birth control during treatment and for 1 week after (FDA). Ask at your evaluation whether it fits you.
TMS, without medication
TMS uses magnetic pulses and needs no anesthesia; the FDA cleared the first device in 2008 for depression that did not improve with an antidepressant (NIMH). A 2021 review of 11 studies found it reduced peripartum depression symptoms with no severe side effects reported in mothers or unborn babies, and asked for more research (Lee 2021). TMS therapy in Cranford
SPRAVATO: not for pregnancy or breastfeeding
SPRAVATO is not recommended during pregnancy, and breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment (FDA label, sections 8.1 and 8.2). For a mother who is not pregnant or breastfeeding and whose depression has not improved enough with antidepressants, SPRAVATO at Labyrinth explains the treatment.
Side effects and limits
ZURZUVAE’s most common side effects are drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea, tiredness, the common cold and urinary tract infection, and it may cause suicidal thoughts and behavior (FDA). Antidepressants can also raise suicidal thoughts in people under 25 in the first weeks (NIMH). No treatment works for everyone, and a response cannot be guaranteed.
Breastfeeding
What the FDA labels and NIMH say about breastfeeding.
| Treatment | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Sertraline (ZOLOFT), an antidepressant | Low levels pass into milk. In a pooled analysis of 53 mothers and babies, exclusively breastfed babies had on average 2 percent (range 0 to 15 percent) of the mother’s blood level, and no side effects were seen in the babies (label section 8.2). ACOG adds that antidepressant levels in milk are generally very low. |
| ZURZUVAE (zuranolone), the 14-day pill for postpartum depression | Low levels pass into milk: in a study of 14 women, the baby’s relative dose was under 1 percent. There are no data on effects in breastfed babies (label section 8.2). ACOG says you may keep breastfeeding for the 14 days, or pause and restart once you are 1 week past the last dose. |
| SPRAVATO (esketamine) nasal spray | Not recommended during pregnancy, and breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment (label sections 8.1 and 8.2). |
| TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) | A device that uses magnetic pulses, not a medicine (NIMH). Whether TMS fits you while you are pregnant or breastfeeding is a question for your evaluation. |
Sources: ZOLOFT label, ZURZUVAE label, SPRAVATO label, ACOG, NIMH. Breastfeeding has real benefits; your clinician weighs them against each treatment with you.
How to start at Labyrinth
From the first call to a plan that fits your baby’s schedule.
- 01
Call or send a request
Call 908-336-1187 or send a request. Keep health details out of the online request. When you call, or when the office calls you back, say you are looking for care after having a baby, how old your baby is, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, so the office can plan the right first visit.
- 02
Psychiatric evaluation
A psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner reviews your symptoms and when they started, your safety, past depression or anxiety, every medicine you take or have tried, sleep, support at home, and your goals. Bring a list of medicines and your OB-GYN’s name.
- 03
A plan you choose together
The plan may include therapy, medication management, TMS for depression that medication has not relieved enough, or another approach. Ask at your evaluation which options fit you while you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- 04
Follow-up
Follow-up visits check how you feel, side effects and sleep, and adjust the plan. Antidepressants usually take 4 to 8 weeks to work, so the first weeks matter (NIMH).
When you need help sooner
Postpartum psychosis is an emergency.
Postpartum psychosis can bring false beliefs, hallucinations, a high or elated mood, paranoia and confusion. It is a psychiatric emergency that needs hospital care: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room (NIMH). It happens in 1 to 2 of every 1,000 births, usually within two weeks to three months after birth (NJ Department of Health).
- In danger now: call 911.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, 24/7.
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: call or text 1-833-852-6262 (1-833-9-TLC-MAMA), free and confidential, 24/7, in English and Spanish (NIMH).
- Postpartum Support International HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773. Leave a confidential message and a trained volunteer calls or texts back; it is support, not a crisis line (PSI).
- NJ Family Health Line: 1-800-328-3838, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM (NJ Department of Health).
For partners and family
You may notice it first.
Partners, family and friends are often the first to recognize depression in a new mother (NIMH). Ways to help:
- Encourage her to talk with a health care provider, and help get her to appointments
- Offer emotional and practical support
- Take on daily tasks such as caring for the baby or the home
- If you see signs of postpartum psychosis or she talks about harming herself or the baby, call 911
You can call 908-336-1187 to ask how she can start with an evaluation.
Insurance
What you pay depends on your plan.
Plans set their own rules for visits, therapy and medicines, and some ask for approval before certain treatments. Bring your insurance card, and ask the office what your plan covers before your first visit. Costs are explained in how much a psychiatrist costs in New Jersey.
Listed insurance plans
Plans the practice lists.
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- Medicare
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare / Oxford
This list is not a guarantee of coverage. If your plan is not listed, call to ask. Insurance and access
Related care
Depression care at Labyrinth.
Postpartum depression is depression, and it is treated with the same care paths the practice uses for depression at any time of life, with your baby and breastfeeding in the plan.
Common questions
Postpartum depression questions mothers ask first.
What kind of doctor should I see for postpartum depression?
Start with your OB-GYN or any health care professional you trust, and call right away rather than waiting for your postpartum checkup (ACOG). A psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner can diagnose postpartum depression and treat it with medication, and a psychologist or social worker can provide talk therapy (NIMH). Labyrinth’s team in Cranford includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and licensed clinical social workers.
What is the best treatment for postpartum depression?
No single treatment is best for everyone. Treatment usually includes therapy, medication, or both (NIMH). Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy are the evidence-based talk therapies. Antidepressants usually take 4 to 8 weeks to work, and ZURZUVAE, approved in 2023, is the first pill made for postpartum depression and is taken for 14 days. The right choice depends on how severe the depression is, whether you are breastfeeding, what has worked before, and what you prefer.
Can Zoloft be used to treat postpartum anxiety?
Zoloft (sertraline) is an SSRI antidepressant. Its FDA label covers major depression, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD and social anxiety disorder; postpartum anxiety is not a separate label use, so a clinician decides whether it fits your symptoms. The label reports low levels in breast milk: in 53 mothers and babies, breastfed babies averaged 2 percent of the mother’s blood level, with no side effects seen. Do not start or stop it on your own.
How long can postpartum depression last?
There is no set length. Postpartum depression can start any time up to a year after birth (ACOG), and it generally does not get better without treatment (NIMH). With treatment, most women feel better and their symptoms improve (NIMH). If low mood or anxiety lasts longer than 2 weeks after birth, get checked.
Does postpartum depression go away on its own?
The baby blues usually do, within a few days to 1 to 2 weeks (ACOG). Postpartum depression generally does not get better without treatment (NIMH), which is why it is worth an evaluation instead of waiting it out.
Can I take medication for postpartum depression while breastfeeding?
Often, yes, but it is a decision to make with your clinician. Antidepressants pass into breast milk, generally at very low levels (ACOG). ZURZUVAE is found in low levels in milk, and ACOG says you may keep breastfeeding for the 14 days or pause and restart a week after the last dose. SPRAVATO is the exception: breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment (FDA label).
Is TMS an option after having a baby?
TMS is a non-medication treatment for depression; the FDA cleared the first device in 2008 for depression that did not improve with an antidepressant (NIMH). A 2021 review of 11 studies found that rTMS reduced peripartum depression symptoms, with no severe side effects reported in mothers or unborn babies, and called for more research (Lee 2021). Whether TMS fits you, including while breastfeeding, is decided at your evaluation, so ask the office.
How can I help a mom with postpartum depression?
Encourage her to see a health care provider, help get her to appointments, offer emotional and practical support, and take on daily tasks such as caring for the baby or the home (NIMH). Partners can call to ask about an evaluation for her. If she is in danger, call 911.
Do I need a hospital or inpatient program for postpartum depression?
Most people are treated with therapy, medication, or both (NIMH). Postpartum psychosis is different: it is a psychiatric emergency that needs hospital care, so call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room (NIMH). Labyrinth sees patients at its Cranford office; if you are not safe right now, call 911 or call or text 988.
Where can I get postpartum depression treatment near me in Union County?
Labyrinth Psychiatry Group and TMS Center is at 11 Commerce Drive, Lobby Floor, Cranford, NJ 07016, near Westfield, Garwood, Clark and Linden. Call 908-336-1187 or send a request to start with an evaluation.