Free mental health resources for pregnancy and after birth
This page gathers free, trustworthy information and peer support for mental health during pregnancy and in the first year or so after a baby arrives. It covers low mood and postnatal depression, anxiety, and the rarer but urgent condition of postpartum psychosis, with good options in German, French and Dutch.
Feeling tearful or overwhelmed in the first couple of weeks after birth is very common. When low mood, anxiety or intrusive, frightening thoughts carry on for longer, that is a recognised health problem and it can be treated. Talking therapies, practical support at home and, for some women, medication all help. Many mothers do not mention how they feel because they fear being judged. Midwives, health visitors and GPs ask because they see it often.
If you are having a baby abroad, you may be without family nearby and unsure how the local system works. Peer support groups, including online ones, can fill some of that gap.
Please get urgent help the same day if you, or a new mother you know, become confused, start seeing or hearing things, or have thoughts of harming yourself or the baby. Call 112 in Europe or 999 in the UK, or use the helplines page.
Mental health in pregnancy
NHS (UK National Health Service) · Guide · psychoeducation · English
A short NHS guide to depression and anxiety during pregnancy, with practical things that can help day to day and advice on talking to a midwife or doctor. It is part of a wider NHS section on mental health in pregnancy and after the birth.
A calm, reliable starting point from a national health service.
For: Pregnant women worried about their mood or anxiety · Free to read; NHS website content, not openly licensed for republishing.
Postnatal depression
NHS (UK National Health Service) · Guide · psychoeducation · English
Covers the signs of postnatal depression, how it differs from the baby blues, how it is diagnosed and treated, and things you can do yourself. It makes clear when to speak to a GP, midwife or health visitor, and when to get urgent help.
Clear on what is common and what needs attention, from a public health service.
For: New parents who think they may have postnatal depression, and their partners · Free to read; NHS website content, not openly licensed for republishing.
PANDAS Foundation
PANDAS Foundation (UK charity) · Website · peer · English
A charity offering free peer support for perinatal mental health, through WhatsApp messaging on weekdays, booked callbacks from trained volunteers and support groups. The site also has information, self-care tips and workbooks, with a section for fathers and partners.
Specialist, free and run with people who have been through it. The live services are aimed at the UK; the information is useful anywhere.
For: Parents, including dads and partners, struggling during pregnancy or after birth · Free to read; not openly licensed.
About postpartum psychosis
Action on Postpartum Psychosis (UK charity) · Guide · psychoeducation · English, other languages (Insider Guides)
Explains what postpartum psychosis is, its early symptoms, causes, treatment and recovery, and covers planning another pregnancy and supporting someone through it. Its Insider Guides, written with women, families, clinicians and researchers, are also available in translation.
The specialist charity for this rare emergency, with information co-produced with leading academic experts.
For: Women at risk of or recovering from postpartum psychosis, and their families · Free to read; not openly licensed.
PSI online support meetings
Postpartum Support International (US nonprofit) · Website · peer · English, Spanish · needs an account
Free weekly video support groups led by trained facilitators, with specialist groups for pregnancy and infant loss, NICU parents, birth trauma, postpartum psychosis, eating disorders and more, plus Spanish-language meetings. You join through a free account on the ShareWell platform.
A wide range of specialist groups that are hard to find elsewhere. Times are set in US time zones, so check whether one suits you in Europe.
For: Parents wanting a weekly group, including after pregnancy loss or a NICU stay · Free service; account needed.
Depressionen nach der Geburt: Was kann helfen?
gesundheitsinformation.de, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), Germany · Guide · psychoeducation · German
A German guide to postnatal depression (Wochenbett-Depression): how to recognise it, how it differs from other depression, what can trigger it, when it becomes dangerous and which treatments help.
Independent, evidence-based and free of advertising.
For: German-speaking new mothers and their partners · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Schatten & Licht
Schatten & Licht e.V. (German self-help organisation) · Website · peer · German
A long-standing German organisation for perinatal depression, anxiety, OCD and psychosis, run by affected parents and specialists. It offers free advice from volunteers, lists of self-help groups and specialists, self-assessment questionnaires and free brochures.
The main German-language peer organisation in this area, with a scientific advisory board and no sponsor money.
For: Parents in Germany facing a mental health crisis around birth · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Maman Blues
Association Maman Blues (France) · Website · peer · French
A French association for mothers going through postnatal depression, baby blues, maternal burnout or postpartum psychosis. It has information pages, an anonymous moderated forum, local contacts and free support groups.
A warm, non-medical place to feel less alone, which is clear that it does not replace care. Some groups and the forum may ask you to register.
For: French-speaking mothers finding motherhood hard · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Depressie na je bevalling
Thuisarts.nl (Dutch College of General Practitioners, NHG) · Guide · psychoeducation · Dutch
A plain-language Dutch page explaining that postnatal depression is common and treatable, how talking to a psychologist and sometimes medication help, and why it is worth asking for practical help at home.
The Dutch GPs' own patient information, easy to read.
For: Dutch-speaking mothers after birth · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Questions people ask
How do I tell the baby blues from postnatal depression?
The baby blues usually start a few days after birth and fade within about two weeks. Postnatal depression lasts longer and can begin any time in the first year. Signs include persistent low mood, losing interest in things, feeling unable to cope, and frightening thoughts. If you are unsure, speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP.
What is postpartum psychosis?
It is a rare but serious illness that usually starts suddenly in the first weeks after birth. Signs can include confusion, racing thoughts, unusual beliefs, and seeing or hearing things others do not. It is a medical emergency, and it responds well to prompt treatment. Call 112 or 999, or go to an emergency department, the same day.
Can partners get postnatal depression?
Yes. Fathers and partners can become depressed or anxious too, especially when sleep is short and roles change. PANDAS has a section for dads and partners, and PSI has information for fathers too. Partners are also often the first to notice when a new mother is struggling.
I'm having a baby abroad and feel very alone. What can help?
Isolation is a real risk when family is far away. Ask your midwife or doctor about local parent groups, look at online peer groups such as PSI's, and be honest with people back home about how you feel. Counselling in your own language can also help, and it's okay to ask for that.