Andrea Yates was on postpartum depression medication and was taken off of it two weeks before she killed her children (Meier, Eileen, May/June 2002). Andrea Yates has been through a lot, but she had a pretty good life. After the birth of her five children she went into a serious case of depression. Andrea Yates was treated for postpartum depression and psychosis, which are illnesses that run in her family. On June 20, 2001, between her husband leaving for work and her mother-in-law arriving, she drowned all five of her children. After she killed her children, Andrea Yates killed her children; she called the police and asked them to come to her house. After she called the police, Andrea Yates called her husband and told him she killed all five of their children.
During Andrea Yates case, psychiatrist testified that Andrea Yates suffered from schizophrenia and postpartum depression. The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions. Which can be from joy and excitement to fear and anxiety. Many news moms experience the “baby blues” after childbirth, which include mood swings and crying spells. But some news moms experience more severe times of depression after their baby is born, causing postpartum depression. Women may have this because they can’t get over it.