Women’s Mental Health · Pregnancy & Postpartum

Perinatal Depression Treatment In The
Denver Metro

If you are pregnant or newly postpartum and the heaviness will not lift, you have more options than you may think. At Axis, that includes drug-free Deep TMS, a treatment that does not pass medication to your baby.

Insurance-covered care · Award-winning, locally owned · Specialists in women’s mental health

You Are Not Failing

Perinatal Depression Is Common, And It Is Treatable

Perinatal depression is depression that happens during pregnancy or in the year after birth. The word “perinatal” simply means the time around birth.
Woman on a sofa rests her head on her hand during a therapy session with a clinician taking notes on a clipboard beside her.
It is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. In Colorado, 1 in 11 women experience postpartum mood or anxiety disorders, with rates as high as 1 in 5 in some groups. You did not cause it. It is not weakness, and it is not a sign that you will be a bad mother.
Many women feel they are supposed to be glowing and grateful, so they hide how they really feel. You do not have to carry that alone. Naming what is happening is the first brave step, and there is real care waiting on the other side of it.

1 in 11x

Women in Colorado experience postpartum mood or anxiety disorders (CDPHE)

Medication-free

Deep TMS treats depression without medication in your body
0
min
first visit, so your provider truly understands you.

Know the signs

Signs Of Perinatal And Postpartum Depression

Pregnancy and the newborn months are exhausting for everyone. The “baby blues” are normal in the first two weeks. But when these feelings last longer or start to take over your days, it can mean something more:
  • Sadness or crying that will not go away
  • Feeling numb, empty, or far away from your baby
  • Worry or scary thoughts you cannot switch off
  • Anger or irritation that surprises you
  • Trouble sleeping even when the baby is asleep
  • No interest in food or in things you used to love
  • Feeling like a failure, or that your family would be better off without you
  • Trouble focusing or making simple decisions
These can overlap with hot flashes, night sweats, and broken sleep, which makes perimenopausal depression easy to miss or brush off. You do not have to sort out what is “hormones” and what is “depression” on your own. That is what an evaluation is for.

When to reach out

If the baby blues last longer than two weeks, or any of these signs feel heavy, please talk to someone. Reaching out is not an overreaction. You can learn more about postpartum depression or book a free consultation with our team. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call or text 988 right away.

A Third Path

A Drug-free Option: Deep Tms For Perinatal Depression

For many pregnant women, this is the hardest part. You want relief, but you worry about taking medication while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Deep TMS gives you another way forward.

It is drug-free, so it can ease depression without medicine in your body. That is why it has become such an important option in women’s depression treatment.

How Deep TMS works, in plain terms

Depression is partly a brain-activity problem. Deep TMS uses gentle magnetic pulses to wake up the part of your brain that controls mood, called the prefrontal cortex. The pulses work from outside your head. Nothing enters your bloodstream, and nothing crosses to your baby.

Axis uses BrainsWay Deep TMS, which uses a cushioned helmet (an “H-coil”) to reach broader and deeper brain areas than older, standard TMS machines.

1

You sit down, fully awake

No sedation and no needles. You relax in a comfortable chair and can listen to music or simply rest.

2

Gentle pulses, about 20 minutes

A cushioned helmet sends short magnetic pulses. Most women feel a light tapping on the scalp. That is it.

3

You drive yourself home

There is no recovery time. You can go right back to work, errands, or your other children the same day.

An honest answer

Is Deep Tms Safe During Pregnancy?

This is the question almost every expecting mom asks us. Here is an honest answer, not a sales pitch.
Deep TMS is FDA-cleared to treat major depression. Because it is drug-free and works from outside your body, no medicine enters your bloodstream and nothing reaches your baby. According to the Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, the magnetic field that TMS uses stays far below the safety limit set for pregnant patients, and TMS has been used safely during pregnancy.

The studies so far are encouraging. That same Mass General team reports that TMS during pregnancy and after birth looks promising, with no reported cases of harm to the pregnancy or birth defects, and that the most common side effects are mild scalp tingling or a brief headache. It is also honest to say the research is still growing. Most of it comes from case reports and one small trial, and there are not yet formal national guidelines for TMS in pregnancy. That is exactly why every plan at Axis starts with a full evaluation.

The studies so far are encouraging. That same Mass General team reports that TMS during pregnancy and after birth looks promising, with no reported cases of harm to the pregnancy or birth defects, and that the most common side effects are mild scalp tingling or a brief headache. It is also honest to say the research is still growing. Most of it comes from case reports and one small trial, and there are not yet formal national guidelines for TMS in pregnancy. That is exactly why every plan at Axis starts with a full evaluation.

How we decide together

Your Axis provider reviews your full history, talks through the benefits and any risks for your situation, and coordinates with your OB or midwife. We also adjust the small details for pregnancy, such as how you are positioned in later trimesters, to keep every session safe and comfortable. You are the one who decides, with a team that will not rush you. That is what integrative psychiatry means here: care built around you, not around a single product.

Whole-person care

Your Complete Women's Mental Health Care, Under One Roof

Deep TMS is one option, not the only one. The right plan is the plan that fits you and your stage of pregnancy or postpartum.
Two women in a bright office chatting; one sits with arms crossed, smiling, while the other gestures as she talks.
At Axis, psychiatry, therapy, and advanced treatments live in one connected team, so nothing about your care is scattered. For some women, talk therapy on its own brings real relief. For others, medication is the right and safe choice, and our providers will help you weigh it honestly rather than steer you.
We will also be straight with you about what does not fit. Some advanced treatments, such as Spravato (esketamine), are generally not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Your provider will tell you plainly what suits your stage and what does not.
Across every life stage, we care for women’s mental health: perinatal depression, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, PMDD, and hormone-related mood changes. Many of our clinicians focus on women’s and perinatal care, and several have lived experience of their own.

No surprises

What Perinatal Depression Treatment Costs, And How Insurance Helps

Money should never be the reason you keep suffering. What you pay for Deep TMS usually comes down to one question: have you tried antidepressants before?

If you have tried two or more antidepressants

Deep TMS is likely covered by most insurance. Two antidepressants that did not bring enough relief is the usual point at which plans approve TMS. Our billing team checks your benefits and handles the prior authorization paperwork for you, so you can put your energy into yourself and your baby.

If this is your first time facing depression

Insurance may not cover TMS yet, because most plans ask you to try medication first. So that medication is never the only door open to you during pregnancy, we offer a self-pay option for perinatal depression at a flat $5,000 for a full course of treatment.

Want a number before you call?

Use the Axis TMS cost calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket cost in about
two minutes.
And if you are worried about cost, you do not have to work it out alone. Book a free financial consultation and our team will walk you through your benefits, payment plan options, and the self-pay price before you commit to anything.

Close to home

Perinatal Depression Care Across The Denver Metro

New motherhood is busy enough without a long drive. Axis offers in-person care at clinics around the Denver area, plus telehealth across Colorado for the parts of care that work well by video.
Whether you are searching for perinatal depression help in Denver, Boulder, Westminster, or Aurora, you can start with a free consultation and meet a provider who treats women’s mental health every day.

Right now

If You Need Help Today

You do not have to wait for an appointment to get support. These lines are free, confidential, and open around the clock.

Questions, Answered

Frequently Asked Questions About
Perinatal Depression

1. What is perinatal depression?

Perinatal depression is depression that happens during pregnancy or in the year after giving birth. The word “perinatal” means the time around birth. It can include low mood, anxiety, scary thoughts, and feeling disconnected from your baby. It is one of the most common medical conditions in pregnancy, and it responds well to the right care.

2. How is it different from the baby blues?

The baby blues are mood swings, tearfulness, and tiredness that many new mothers feel in the first two weeks after birth, and they usually fade on their own. Perinatal depression is heavier, lasts longer than two weeks, and gets in the way of daily life. If your symptoms last beyond two weeks or feel overwhelming, it is worth reaching out.

3. Can I treat depression during pregnancy without medication?

Yes. Drug-free options exist. Deep TMS uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate the mood center of the brain from outside the body, so no medication enters your bloodstream and nothing reaches your baby. Talk therapy is also drug-free. Your Axis provider will help you compare every option and choose what fits your stage of pregnancy.

4. Is Deep TMS safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Deep TMS is FDA-cleared to treat major depression, the same depression that can surface or deepen during perimenopause. In a large real-world analysis of more than 1,300 patients treated with Deep TMS, about 82% responded and about 65% reached remission after a full course of roughly 30 sessions. Side effects are usually mild, such as brief scalp tingling or a short headache.

5. Does insurance cover Deep TMS for perinatal depression?

If you have tried two or more antidepressants, Deep TMS is likely covered by most commercial plans, since that is the usual point at which insurers approve it. The Axis billing team handles the prior authorization for you. If this is your first experience with depression, insurance may not cover TMS yet, so a self-pay option for perimenopausal depression is available at a flat $5,000. You can also use the TMS cost calculator to estimate your out-of-pocket cost.

6. Do you treat postpartum depression too?

They remain proven, front-line options. For some women, hormone therapy can help mood during the transition, and antidepressants and therapy are well-established treatments. At Axis, we coordinate with your gynecologist or primary care provider when hormones are part of the picture, so your care is connected rather than scattered. Deep TMS can be used on its own or alongside these options.

7. What if I cannot afford treatment?

Yes. Across every stage of life, Axis treats women’s mental health, including perimenopausal and menopausal depression, PMDD, postpartum depression, anxiety, and other hormone-related mood changes, through one connected team of psychiatry, therapy, and advanced treatments like Deep TMS and Spravato.

8. Where are your clinics?

Axis offers in-person care in Aurora, Boulder, Westminster, and the Denver Tech Center, plus telehealth across Colorado. Most new patients are seen quickly, and intake appointments run a full 60 minutes. You can book a free consultation to find the clinic nearest you.

Ready To Start

You deserve to feel like yourself again

Take one small step today. A free consultation is a conversation, not a commitment, and it could be the start of feeling better for both you and your baby.

Sources

References

  1. Beydler E. Essential reads: transcranial magnetic stimulation for perinatal depression. MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health, Massachusetts General Hospital. April 6, 2023. womensmentalhealth.org
  2. Stewart DE, Vigod S. Postpartum depression. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(22):2177-2186. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp1607649
  3. Kim DR, Sockol LE, Sammel MD, Kelly C, Moseley M, Epperson CN. Elevated risk of adverse obstetric outcomes in pregnant women with depression. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2013;16(6):475-482. doi:10.1007/s00737-013-0371-x
  4. Wisner KL, Sit DKY, McShea MC, et al. Onset timing, thoughts of self-harm, and diagnoses in postpartum women with screen-positive depression findings. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70(5):490-498. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.87
  5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee Opinion No. 757: screening for perinatal depression. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;132(5):e208-e212. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000002927