In immediate danger? Call 911 now.
You do not need to finish this guide or buy anything to reach help.
If someone has acted to harm themselves or someone else, is about to act, or there is immediate danger, call 911.
After childbirth, hallucinations, delusions, or severe confusion can be signs of postpartum psychosis. This is a psychiatric emergency. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department now. You do not need to identify the condition yourself before seeking help.
Sources: NIMH: Perinatal Depression; NIMH: Suicide FAQ.
Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can contact it for yourself or because you are worried about someone else. It is available 24/7. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Sources: NIMH: Suicide FAQ; 988.
Call or text 1-833-852-6262 for the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. Free, confidential support is available 24/7 in English and Spanish. Partners and family members can contact it too. Counselors offer emotional support and connections to care and other resources. For immediate danger, use 911.
Source: HRSA.
Call the maternal hotline, 1-833-852-6262Text the maternal hotline, 1-833-852-6262
Call 911 first. Tell the dispatcher your location, what is happening, and that you are alone with a baby. Follow their instructions. Do not postpone the call while trying to arrange childcare.
You can say:
“I need emergency medical help. I am at [address]. I recently gave birth and I am alone with my baby. [Describe what is happening.]”
If the person says they are going to kill themselves, do not leave them alone while help is being arranged, provided you can remain safely. Call 911 for immediate danger. Tell the dispatcher if a baby is present or anyone else may be at risk. If another trusted, capable adult is available, ask them to care for the baby while help is arranged. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
Sources: NIMH: Suicide FAQ; National 911 Program.
You can say:
“I’m here. We do not have to figure this out ourselves. I’m calling for help.”
If remaining nearby puts you in danger, get to a safer place and call 911. Tell the dispatcher where everyone is.
An unwanted thought is not the same thing as an intention. But a page cannot establish what a thought means for you or whether anyone is safe. Tell a qualified health professional about thoughts of harming yourself or your baby—including thoughts you do not want. Seek medical care immediately; you do not need to sort them into a diagnosis first. For suicidal or emotional crisis support, call or text 988. For immediate danger, call 911.
Sources: Fairbrother and colleagues; CDC; NIMH: Suicide FAQ.
You can start with:
“I’m having thoughts that are difficult to talk about. I need help understanding what is happening.”
During pregnancy and after birth, symptoms such as chest pain, trouble breathing, a severe or worsening headache, or heavy bleeding require immediate medical care. These are examples, not the full warning-sign list. Do not use this guide to decide that a physical symptom is anxiety.
Source: CDC.
Read the physical warning signs below · Open CDC’s full warning-sign list
For help finding someone to contact, use the existing care-navigation resources. You can contact care without completing the guide.
These numbers are for the United States. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service or nearest emergency department.
Who Holds Mom provides education and preparation. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, screening or crisis assessment, and it does not replace professional care. This page cannot determine which service is right for your situation. Contact a qualified professional when you need assessment or clinical judgment.
Who Holds Mom messages and forms are not an emergency service. Do not wait for a reply here when you need help.
Sources checked September 11, 2026. NIMH: Perinatal Depression · NIMH: Suicide FAQ · 988: Help Someone Else · HRSA: Maternal Hotline · National 911 Program · CDC: Maternal Warning Signs · Fairbrother et al., 2022.
You do not have to name a condition to ask for help.
Call the maternal hotline, 1-833-852-6262Text the maternal hotline, 1-833-852-6262
This is a contact list, not a test of how serious your situation is. If you are unsure what symptoms mean, ask a professional. Do not use the absence of a symptom on a list as proof that you can wait.
My healthcare contact: ____________________
Phone / after-hours number: ____________________
A trusted person I can contact: ____________________
These blanks are printed lines for your own paper. This public page collects nothing and has no fields to fill in.
Emergency instructions: Get help now.
United States · Sources checked September 11, 2026. NIMH · HRSA.
911 — immediate danger or medical emergency.
Postpartum hallucinations, delusions or severe confusion: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department now.
988 — call or text for suicidal or emotional crisis support, 24/7.
1-833-852-6262 — call or text for maternal mental-health support, 24/7.
Alone with a baby during an emergency? Tell the 911 dispatcher your location, what is happening and that your baby is with you. Follow their instructions.
Healthcare contact: ____________________
Trusted person: ____________________
United States · Checked September 11, 2026 · SF-1.1
Education only; this card cannot assess your situation. Do not wait for a reply from Who Holds Mom in an emergency.
Sources: NIMH, National 911 Program and HRSA. Full sources accompany the public help page.
Do not assume a physical symptom is stress or anxiety.
CDC advises immediate medical care for urgent maternal warning signs during pregnancy and in the year after delivery. Examples include:
Seek medical care immediately for these warning signs. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.
This is not the complete list. Symptoms do not need to match these examples for you to raise a concern. Tell the professional if you are pregnant or have been pregnant within the last year.
“I am [pregnant / recently postpartum]. I’m having [symptom]. It started [when].”
Open the full CDC warning-sign list
Sources checked September 11, 2026. CDC: Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms · National 911 Program.
Start with one person you can reach.
Immediate danger or an emergency? Call 911. For the emergency warning signs and full instructions, open Get help now. Do not finish this page first.
You do not need a polished explanation. You can read this aloud:
“I recently had a baby, and I’m concerned about how I’m feeling. What has changed is [your words]. I need to speak with someone about it.”
For a partner or family member:
“I’m worried about someone who recently gave birth. I’ve noticed [what you have actually seen or heard]. Can you help us with the next step?”
For a health concern, contact your healthcare professional or their after-hours service. Ask how to reach someone if the office is closed.
For suicidal or emotional crisis support, call or text 988.
For pregnancy or postpartum emotional support and help finding resources, call or text 1-833-852-6262.
Both support lines are available 24/7. A portal message or voicemail is not a live conversation. Do not rely on one for an emergency; call 911.
If there is someone you trust, you might say:
“Could you sit with me while I make this call?”
Or:
“Could you take care of the baby while I speak with someone?”
You can contact professional support without involving a partner or relative. Having someone help does not replace assessment by a healthcare professional.
Person or service I contacted: ____________________
What they told me to do next: ____________________
Who to contact if I cannot reach them again: ____________________
These notes are for you. You do not have to fill them out to ask for help.
Printed lines for your own paper. This public page has no fields and stores nothing.
Sources checked September 11, 2026. NIMH: Perinatal Depression · NIMH: Suicide FAQ · HRSA: Maternal Hotline.
Help information is available without purchase or sign-in.