--- - |2+ Abstract Objectives Maternal postpartum depression symptoms (PDS) are linked with negative personal, family, and child developmental outcomes. However, paternal PDS, let alone dyadic process, are understudied. Grounded in the Self‐Determination Theory of motivation, this longitudinal study examined whether mothers' and fathers' type of prenatal motivation to have a child predicted depression symptoms 3‐6 months after birth. Method The data (N = 90 heterosexual couples) were analyzed using the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model. Results Dyadic analyses showed that a person's prenatal autonomous motivation to have a child significantly predicted own PDS and partner's PDS. Importantly, these finding were equivalent across genders. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of dyadic prenatal motivational processes as antecedents of PDS. - Journal of Clinical Psychology, EarlyView.