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I tried ignoring it and making excuses for how I felt....finally went to the doctor at 6.5 months pp. Now I am on Zoloft and can't believe I waited so long.

Second time around I encapsulated and I do think it helped.

I didn't have PPD, but I had a few bluesy days/weeks. I communicated with DH about it. Got out with some friends when I could (sometimes I just needed OUT OF THE DAMN HOUSE). Acknowledging when my hormones were being jacked up helped. Knowing they're making me nutty helps me chill a bit, always with the caveat that if it didn't improve/go away, there was a bigger problem. Mostly relying on DH to let me know if i seemed out of sorts for too long. I still have these days--life is overwhelming sometimes. And i find that now that I"m finally getting some damn sleep, I feel 100x better and less "rat in a cage" when i can work out.

I think there's a big difference between baby blues and PPD. Baby blues are much more common and less severe than PPD. I just kept communicating with DH and other family that was around to help. Accepting help when it's offered is a huge thing. I was not one of those people that needed to be the martyr and do everything myself the first month. DH took the baby for long drives so that I could get sleep, my mom would help get the baby to nap so that I could nap also. DH, my mom and MIL all worked to keep my house clean and all of us fed. Be honest and open with the people that are there to help you, and remember to take care of yourself... Eat, sleep, bathe, get fresh air.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: if you have a predisposition for post partum depression (personal history of mood disorders, or familial history), I recommend to clients that they creat a safety net: inform your doctors, and consider meeting a therapist for a few sessions during pregnancy and schedule one for 4 weeks postpartum.
Placenta incapsulation might have some placebo effect, which is great. But post partum depression is a serious illness and can compromise your safety and the safety of your baby.
As for "baby blues," which I guess is some kind of mild sadness or trouble adjusting to the stress of caring for a newborn? Self care, and time away from the baby. Postnatal yoga can be great and you can often bring the baby. Making sure you make space for your husband to be primary caretaker so you can have a break.

I experienced perinatal anxiety, and have a history of depression. I was relieved to discover that the postpartum period was in no way sad or difficult for me. I felt a million times less anxious by the time we left the hospital. But I had a therapist appointment already scheduled with the therapist I saw during pregnancy, and she did some extra screening. And my doctors were on top of asking about it too.

I am pretty clued in to signs of clinical depression/anxiety because of the history in my family and my friends, so when I started to experience the symptoms, I threw myself into every resource I could get my hands on and within five days I had a bottle of Zoloft in my hand. It helped enormously and I felt completely better in no time flat. I had one friend try to argue that I just needed to give myself more "me" time for pedicures and Netflix and just stop trying to respond to every one of LO's cries (she was going through a ridiculously rough phase where eating and sleeping were both total chaos) and I'm so glad I ignored her. PPD/PPA are medical conditions that respond very well to medical treatment.

Getting out of the house, seeing friends, asking for and accepting help, therapy, exercise, meds, and a creative outlet/ hobby.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Screening in the first two weeks can be helpful for looking at what symptoms you may be experiencing and their intensities, but that is still technically the post partum baby-blues window (where depression/anxiety symptoms can be considered quite normal). PPD/PPA would commonly be diagnosed after this early adjustment period and even sometimes with a delayed onset of 6 months PP or later. As fellow therapist @silva: mentioned, if you have a history of anxiety/depression or it runs in your family, it's good to have a safety net that extends beyond those first few weeks. Encapsulation as you mentioned is not an evidence-based option for treating PPD/PPA. Most research indicates it has a placebo effect as @Silva also noted.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I think how you feel sounds pretty normal for an almost mom! It is such a transition. I remember going on a walk with my husband towards the end, crying about how our alone time was soon ending and was sad about how much she would change everything. I felt so torn sometimes, oscillating between excitement and so much love for her already and then utter annoyance and resentment about it. I think you should allow yourself to feel all the feelings you feel and not judge yourself for it.

I, too, considered the encapsulation for similar concerns but my midwide/doula and I decided a different plan was better for my situation, particularly given the research. That said, If it gives you some relief to have it available, by all means do it!

I was at risk and started seeing a therapist as soon as I got the I saw her once a week. I had a huge amount of fear anxiety about the pregnancy- it was awful. Shortly after she was born it resolved. We quickly went down to every other week now I see her 1x a month. I'm relieved I did not have any major symptoms after birth, and I'm happy I developed an awesome relationship with someone who could keep an eye on me prior to Ts birth.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: No. I had my pills within 24 hours so I think taking them helped me avoid the standard three day emotion crash. It definitely helped with energy, milk, and baby blues, but if I had ppd and needed other medication the encapsulation wouldn't have been a replacement. I think I avoided ppd with my second baby for a host of other reasons. But I think encapsulating was worth it. I could tell days I forgot my pills. It's not a replacement for zoloft. Like milk isn't a replacement for a calcium supplement if you have a true deficiency. But it will help!