A woman becomes an entirely different person as regards her appearance, attitudes, social status and responsibilities after childbirth. All these biological- psychological – social changes make a definite impact on the mental health of the mother.
In the first few weeks after birth, majority (75-85%) of mothers experience moodiness. They become morose, tired and worry excessively. These are called ’Blues’ and go away in 1 – 2 weeks’ time. As it is so common and the mother recovers quickly on her own, Blues is regarded as a mild moodiness which does not need medical treatment.
Sometimes, the mother becomes more and more disturbed emotionally and is unable to recover. She may feel very sad, tried, worried about trival things and unable to sleep restfully. In some cases she may appear abnormally cheerful, active and restless. In the most serious instances the mother becomes either still like a stature or excited to the point of violence. She may become suspicious and have false beliefs or hear voices. In all these situations, the mother is unable to care for herself and her newborn. There is a real danger that the mother may harm herself or her baby. Women who have had a pervious episode of mental disorder, a difficult pregnancy or delivery and do not have much support at home are more prone to such disorders. All these conditions require urgent care of a qualified psychiatrist.
Even the mildest emotional problems can affect the capacity of mother to care for herself and her baby. It is possible that other family members help the mother in feeding or caring for the baby and take care of the mother as well. But ‘emotional nourishment’ can be provided only by the mother. Hence, the most disastrous consequence of emotional problem after deliver is that it affects the mother-baby bonding and attachment. This can lead to lot of emotional and behavioral problems in the child and dissatisfaction with motherhood.
Every woman must cultivate her mental health along with her physical health right from the time she starts planning for a baby. A woman with prior mental illness should make a proper plan about her mental health care during pregnancy and delivery. Women should get proper diet, rest and help in managing the household and employment during this time. All pregnant women and mothers should be screened for mental disorders. The couple can avail of counseling if they feel any mental distress or even doubts.
In the event that the mother suffers mental illness after delivery, urgent psychiatric treatment should be provided. It is of utmost importance that the mother recovers as early as possible and starts to bond with the baby. Many safe medications are available for use. Electroconvulsive treatment is often prescribed in this phase as it gives almost instant results and is perfectly safe.
The mother-child bond is the starting point of a new relationship. The mother’s mental health should be safe guarded to ensure a strong bond and a healthy relationship.