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The things that put you at risk for postpartum depression are the same as those that put you at risk for depression at other times.

These are the most important risk factors:^{1 2 3 4 5}

• You've had a mental illness before, particularly depression. This includes postpartum depression after a previous pregnancy.
• You don't get enough support from people like your friends and neighbors, relatives and health professionals.
• You have a bad relationship with your husband or partner.
• You have difficult things happening in your life. For example, you may have lost your job or your partner has lost his or her job. Or you've had to move house when you didn't want to. Or a close family member or friend of yours has been in an accident, had an illness or has died.

You may also be at risk for postpartum depression if these things have happened to you:^{1 2 3 6}

• You had problems during your pregnancy
• You have been abused
• Your family doesn't have much income
• You don't get much job satisfaction.

Your risk of postpartum depression may also be higher than average if you have or had any of these problems:^{7 8}

• You didn't plan to get pregnant
• You're a teenage mother
• You're not breastfeeding
• It took a long time for you to get pregnant
• Your partner has depression
• You had a condition called the baby blues in the first days after your baby was born (to read more, see The baby blues)
• You have two or more children
• Your baby has, or had, health problems
• Your baby died.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.