The short explanation
Feeling disconnected from your baby, being unable to sleep even when you have the chance, and constantly feeling like a failure for three months are common signs of postnatal depression. It affects many mothers, is not your fault, and is treatable. Talking to a doctor is an important step and you deserve support. Postnatal depression can make it hard to enjoy or bond with the baby. With treatment, many mothers find that their feelings towards their baby change as they recover.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Treatment may include talking therapy, practical support and sometimes medicine. A clinician can discuss options that fit with breastfeeding.
- You can see a gynaecologist, a family doctor, or a psychiatrist. Many government hospitals have a psychiatry department. Tele-MANAS on 14416 is a free government helpline you can call to talk and be guided to services.
- Telling family can feel difficult. You might start with one person you trust, or bring them to the appointment.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot diagnose postnatal depression or decide on treatment. A clinician will ask about your mood, sleep and thoughts to understand what is happening.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Could this be postnatal depression?
- What treatment options are there, and do they fit with breastfeeding?
- Can I be referred to a counsellor or psychiatrist?
- What can my family do to help?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have thoughts of ending your life or of harming yourself or your baby and feel you might act on them, or if someone you love seems to be losing touch with reality. You can also call Tele-MANAS on 14416, a free government mental-health helpline that works day and night.
Get help the same day
- Contact a doctor or Tele-MANAS the same day if you feel hopeless, cannot function, or are having frightening thoughts.
Book an appointment soon
- Book an appointment within the next few days to talk about how you have been feeling.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Keep regular follow-up appointments once you start getting help.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Postpartum depression MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Postnatal depression NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
Did this answer your question?
Whatever you choose is filed against this version of the answer, never against you, and it is never shown as a count.
“Explain more simply” asks you which part was hard to follow, so the author knows what to rewrite. “My question is different” opens a private follow-up with this answer attached.
Saving, following up and reporting are all private. Nothing you do on this page is visible to other readers or to the doctor who wrote it, unless you ask a question.