Effects of Postpartum Depression

When a woman is functioning well, her whole family does better. This is especially true for new mothers.

According to research by Dr. Alison Fleming at the University of Toronto, "compared to non-depressed mothers, depressed moms respond less sensitively and more negatively to their infants." (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/105786.php)

This is an important finding, because it demonstrates that the mothers' "anxiety and their negative feelings could affect their ability to soothe their babies and cope with their distress."

Dr. Fleming "describes the mother-baby relationship as a dance: baby smiles, mom smiles back; baby vocalizes, mom vocalizes back. Depressed mothers, she has found, have more difficulty interacting with their babies - they don't take part in the dance, as it were."

During the long winter months, especially, "women may feel isolated, particularly when their partners return to work and they are alone for most of the day."

So - now that spring is here - get outside if you can, spend time with friends, and take a breather from your responsibilities.

If your depression lasts more than a few months, however, seek help from a qualified mental health practitioner. As Dr. Fleming points out, "If mothers stay depressed, babies can have problems with their own social and emotional development later on."