If you are a woman suffering from postpartum depression, there’s something you need to understand.

Postpartum depression usually occurs because your body gave up the oils in your brain (which come from fish oil) so the baby could make its brain. That was nicely self-sacrificing of you, but you need to eat more fish so your brain will recover — and it will by eating fish or fish oil.

To prevent or treat postpartum depression:

1. Take fish oil in an amount of 1 to 2 teaspoons a day during pregnancy and 1 tablespoon a day afterwards until depression lifts.
2. Take bioidentical progesterone (from a holistic physician).
3. Optimize thyroid hormone with prescription for Armour thyroid — even if blood levels are "normal."
4. Walk at least 30 minutes a day outside in the sun.

In an eight-week, randomized, dose-ranging pilot trial involving 16 mothers with postpartum depression, supplementation with fish oil was very helpful. Subjects were randomized into 3 groups that received varying dosages of omega-3 fatty acids. Six subjects consumed 0.5 grams per day, 3 subjects consumed 1.4 grams per day, and 7 subjects consumed 2.8 grams per day.

For all 3 groups, the depression scores dropped by around 50 percent.

In another study, 24 women with major depression during pregnancy were given fish oil (approximately 1 tsp) or placebo for eight weeks. The fish oil was significantly more effective than placebo.

A third large, multi-country observational study of postpartum depression found that eating more seafood was associated with a lower risk of postpartum depression.

In addition to fish oil, be sure thyroid levels are optimized. Having your labs be "within normal limits" is not enough.