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What picture comes to your mind as you think of a mom with her newborn baby?
For most a picture comes of a joyful mom snuggling her newborn. This picture,
however, is not everyone’s reality. Thirty to seventy five percent of moms
experience ‘baby blues’. ‘Baby blues’ may last a few days and usually stop
within a week. Of this group up to twenty percent may go on to develop post
partum depression within the first year of giving birth. Postpartum depression
requires treatment that combines medication, counselling and may also include
support groups. Treatment is eighty percent successful.[3] [4]
If you know a mom who recently had a baby and is feeling sad, worried, like they are ‘going crazy’, can’t eat, can’t sleep, and they have been like this for more than a week, you can help them to access the help they need. Your support can make a difference both to a mom and her child.
[3] Postpartum Depression, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2005.
[4] http://www.oursistersplace.on.ca. Accessed May 25, 2009.