The New York Times: Life in the Throes of Postpartum Depression

If you give birth to a baby in the United States in 2023, odds are you will learn something about postpartum depression along the way — maybe from your doctor or midwife, maybe from a celebrity on social media.

The New York Times spent time with four mothers who were then in the grips of postpartum depression. They offered a stark, intimate glimpse into their experiences, in their own words. Carrie Keefe, 39, of Turners Falls, Mass. is the mother to a 10-year old and 7-year old. Her baby, Lily, was 4 months old when she spoke to the Times.

“To me, the depression feels like a physical weight — like, if I could just take it off of me. If I could just reach into my chest and pull it out.”

Reporter: Catharine Pearson | Photo Editor: Sophie Butcher

 

Carrie Keefe closes her eyes while feeding her daughter Lily Thibodeau at her studio in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023. “Two things can be true at the same time: You can feel grateful for the life you’ve been given, and that you get to raise one more child that you longed for,” Carrie says. “But you can also feel like it’s really, really hard.”

 

liot Thibodeau, 10, and his sister Leila Thibodeau, 7, bounce on the trampoline at their home before going to school in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023.

Eliot and Leila receive help getting into the car from mother Carrie holding their sister Lily, as father Marc Thibodeau, 45, prepares to drive them to school in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023

Carrie looks out at the Connecticut River while walking with her daughter Lily in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023.

Carrie prepares a bottle for her daughter Lily at her studio in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023

 

Lily smiles at her mother Carrie at their home in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023.

 

Carrie yawns and covers her face while feeding her daughter Lily at her home in Turners Falls, Mass. on June 8, 2023.