We Asked A Psychiatrist The Questions About Postpartum Depression We’ve Always Wanted Answered

6. Can a woman not have postpartum with one pregnancy but then experience it with a second?

Dr. Homitsky: Postpartum depression occurs in both first-time mothers and mothers of more than one child. A prior episode of postpartum depression can increase a woman’s risk for another episode — however, it is not a necessity. No pregnancy and delivery is exactly the same. Therefore, if a woman with no prior history of postpartum depression delivers her second child amid family and/or financial stress following a traumatic delivery, she is at increased risk for postpartum depression given her current circumstances.