For many, having a baby during the pandemic era may have been a more isolating experience than usual. Masks during delivery. Birthing without a partner in the room. Skipping traditional baby showers. Fewer visits from family and friends.

And now, two new studies suggest that living in the times of COVID has taken a toll on new moms’ mental health.

One in three new people who had babies in the beginning of the pandemic experienced postpartum depression – potentially triple pre-pandemic levels – while one in five had major depressive symptoms, according to research led by the University of Michigan School of Nursing and Michigan Medicine.

A separate study from the same U-M team also found that those who gave birth during the first six months of COVID-19 reported more distress and anxiety.

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