Emotions for New Mothers

Though the media and our society depicts the moment a woman becomes a new mother as the most exciting and wonderful period of her life (thought at least they are honest and leave tired in there!), there is an unspoken side. Mixed emotions, depression and postpartum symptoms are all too common. No expectant mother can even image that a baby's birth might turn from absolute joy to fear, insecurity, ambivalence and dread – for some women this can intensify for 18 months or until breastfeeding finishes. The reality is that pregnancy and becoming a mother is enough to set any woman's fear factor spinning. In the meantime, they are being fed the myth of the “maternal instinct” and if their bodies and minds do not actually feel that way it hurts. In the case t
that the pregnancy arrives after fertility difficulties or assistance it can be even more difficult to speak about. Unfortunately, it's this very shame that block people and stop them from asking for help when that is exactly what needs to be done. The fact is, it's estimated that between 70-80% of women will have some negative feelings after their child is born. Here are some factors that might play a role in postpartum depression: a history of depression, a history of postpartum depression in your family, a difficult pregnancy or delivery, fertility issues, infant health issues, difficulty feeding, having twins, lack of support at home, demanding/critical family members, young children that need the mother's attention, family conflict, work pressure or financial stress.