Farida Azizova-Such inside the nursery rocking her son to sleep. "He was 5 weeks when we started coming. It's just my husband and I taking care of him, so I was alone at home. I wanted to find new moms to connect with and a safe space to be able to come and learn about how to take care of a baby, and also my identity shifted when you become a mother." Ali Lapetina for NPR hide caption
Miriam McDonald spends time with her 4-year-old son, Nico. McDonald struggled to get care for postpartum depression at Kaiser Permanente, an experience that would eventually lead to significant policy changes by the health care provider. Keith McDonald hide caption
Postpartum depression affects up to 1 in 7 women. The first pill to treat it is expected to become available later this year, after the FDA approved it on Friday. Getty Images hide caption
A pregnant woman stands for a portrait in Dallas on May 18. U.S. health officials have approved the first pill specifically intended to treat severe depression after childbirth, a condition that affects thousands of new mothers in the U.S. each year. LM Otero/AP hide caption
Data compiled by the CDC highlights multiple weaknesses in the system of care for new mothers, from obstetricians who are not trained (or paid) to look for signs of mental trouble or addiction, to policies that strip women of health coverage shortly after they give birth. Halfpoint Images/Getty Images hide caption
Miriam McDonald developed postpartum depression after giving birth to her third son, Nicholas. She says she felt sad, disconnected, and indifferent. Keith McDonald hide caption
Jennifer Ford of Oakham, Mass., went through serious postpartum depression after her second pregnancy. She got help from her obstetrician after he connected with a statewide program that supports doctors. Kieran Kesner for NPR hide caption
Placenta purveyors often dehydrate and grind a new mother's placenta to a powder, then add it to a pill capsule. Generally, the goal is to increase her milk production, energy and mood, but scientists dispute such benefits. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Years ago, Portia Smith (center) was afraid to seek care for her postpartum depression because she feared child welfare involvement. She and her daughters Shanell Smith (right), 19, and Najai Jones Smith (left), 15, pose for a selfie in February after makeup artist Najai made up everyone as they were getting ready at home to go to a movie together. Tom Gralish/Philadelphia Inquirer hide caption
A new treatment promises relief for severe postpartum depression. But will it be accessible to the women who may need it most? AleksandarNakic/Getty Images hide caption
New recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force call for doctors to identify patients at risk of depression during pregnancy or after childbirth and refer them to counseling. Adene Sanchez/Getty Images hide caption
Lisa Abramson holds her firstborn child, Lucy, in 2014. A few weeks after Lucy's birth, Abramson began feeling confused and then started developing delusions — symptoms of postpartum psychosis. Courtesy of Claire Mulkey hide caption
Wendy Root Askew with her husband Dominick Askew and their son. When the little boy (now 6) was born, Root Askew struggled with postpartum depression. She likes California's bill, she says, because it goes beyond mandatory screening; it would also require insurers to establish programs to help women get treatment. Courtesy of Wendy Root Askew hide caption
Jessica Porten went to a doctor's appointment with her daughter, Kira, to get help with postpartum depression. She soon found herself in the company of police who escorted her to a hospital's emergency department. April Dembosky/KQED hide caption
