Postnatal Depression

Introduction Being depressed What is depression? - official and unofficial definitions What it feels like to be depressed Who gets it and what causes it? Explaining depression What is postnatal depression? Discovering the paradox Different theories and different kinds of depression The baby blues Postnatal distress and depressed moods Postnatal depression What causes postnatal depression? Why me? Why now? Different approaches to understanding women's postnatalexperiences Trauma following birth Factors influencing PTSD Worrying about the baby's health and welfare Getting the best support over the postnatal period Coping with depressed moods Finding social support Not all company is supportive Getting support to prevent PND What has happened to me? Motherhood and the arrival of self-confidence Happiness and loss: the paradox of postnatal depression Introduction The experience of loss The healthy grief reaction Losing sleep Losing time Bodies Feeling too fat Losing your looks Losing your 'mind' Losing my self Being clear about who you really are Finding yourself as a mother Being a 'good' mother: the paradox of sacrifice Introduction What is the truth about the maternal instinct Is maternal instinct a biological drive? Is there a paternal instinct? Is biology destiny? Were you born knowing how to bath a baby? The father's role Is a good woman the same as a good mother? But, what does make a good mother? Negotiating the boundaries bewteeen self and other Voices of the experts Postnatal depression by proxy Introduction The paradoxical burden Women's rage: gender relations or PND by proxy? What do women expect? Penelope's story Wendy's story Isobel's story Understanding PND by proxy Challenging the paradox and getting on with your life Introduction Taking control: when and how Social support Emotions fitness Cognitive-analytic therapy (CAT) Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) Physical fitness Where do we go from here? Conclusions Portraits of the women