I am thinking a lot about the postpartum parents in these Strange AF Times. When I had postpartum depression, I was petrified of germs – and that was in 2013! How are the moms and dads with newborns handling the pandemic? I am so grateful that my kids are 7 and 4. I would be losing my mind if I was still in the trenches with a newborn.

Even though I have retired my podcast Adventures with Postpartum Depression, I keep thinking that I should record a special pandemic episode.

But what the hell would I say? There is nothing I can say that would make navigating these scary times with a newborn any easier for the moms and dads who are tipping into the darkness of postpartum depression (or who are already there). We are all in all new territory. No one knows what it is like to have postpartum depression during a pandemic except the moms and dads suffering right now.

But here is something worth noting: postpartum depression is a spectrum illness. There is no precise formula for who gets PPD and who does not. But there are risk factors that increase the odds that a parent will get postpartum depression. These factors include:

• Traumatic birth experience: I would say that giving birth in a hospital during a pandemic would be pretty damn traumatizing. Also, trauma is subjective. If you think something was traumatic, then it was.
• An emotionally painful or stressful experience around birth or parenting: does a pandemic count? HELL YES! My god. Grandparents are meeting their new grandchildren through windows AND THAT IS NOT OKAY. It’s what we have to do, but how ridiculously heartbreaking. For all of you with little babies social distancing from loved ones, I am sorry. I am so, so sorry.
• Stress: Okay, 2020 is sort of breaking new records in the stress department. #toiletpaper
• Lack of social support: OMFG! We are all lacking social support these days. I am doing tons of phone calls, Facetime, Google Hangouts, and texting, but it’s just not the same as being in the presence of the people I love. Being alone at home was a huge part of my PPD experience. Now everyone in the state of California, and so many other states, have been ordered to stay at home. UGH. New moms and new dads: I see you! Parenting is tough but holy shit, you are dealing with unprecedented toughness.

As I write through my thoughts and feelings, I feel as if all new parents are at an increased risk for postpartum depression. If you are struggling, please please please ask your doctor for help. And please, do not blame yourself. You have not done anything wrong.

I am going to let my thoughts coalesce a little more but the more I think about this, the more I think that I want and need to do a special pandemic episode. I do not have all the answers, but I can at least offer empathy to the new parents suffering through this crisis.