15% of childbearers

[freud]

15% of all women whom bear children supposedly suffer from postnatal depression. That is a significant number indeed, however I have come to question the validity of this depression over the years. Often times it is used as an excuse in murder or neglect trials and have simply become an excuse for women. Any thoughts?

[viv.brav]

I feel one of the things that might be bothering all these women is that they probably become more dependent on others for most of their works. Especially in case of a women, who have been dedicated to her work, both in official and household stage, they face enormous trouble to stabilise their state of mind.

[Honesty]

In a study of child maltreatment, mothers who began childbearing as younger adolescents , older adolescents did not differ regarding child maltreatment or maternal self-perceptions of competence, depressive symptoms, or most aspects of social support. Sociodemographic risk factors persisted into later life for adolescent childbearers. Among younger adolescent childbearers (age 17 years or younger), mothers of maltreated and nonmaltreated children did not differ on self-perceptions of social support, competence, or depressive symptoms. Sociodemographic differences between these two groups suggested that younger adolescent childbearers who do not overcome sociodemographic deficits common to early childbearing are at greatest risk for child maltreatment.

[tac2bz]

Let me start by saying that after my first child (at age 26), I would have agreed with your post - I thought Brooke Shields was insane for admitting her awful feelings in public and thought for sure that she was suffering from something other than postpartum depression.  However, after having my second child (at age 29), I have to say that I really do believe that it's legit.  I didn't realize until months after coming home with my second child that my problem wasn't lack of sleep, but postpartum.  I wasn't doing anything crazy like picturing terrible things happening or even flying off the handle.  I was however, becoming more withdrawn from the world and also what I considered lazy.  I never got medical treatment for this - in hind sight, for the sake of my children, I wish I had.  I really wish that there was more research on the issue and that people weren't so judgmental about it.  I personally think that we've become entirely over-medicated as a society, but maybe there should be more programs for new mothers in terms of how to cope with this illness??

[Shell]

Postpartum depression IS a real disorder... that's probably why it is diagnosable by psychologists.

I've been diagnosed with depression and was at high risk for postpartum. Thankfully, I resorted to treatment during my pregnancy.

Many people think of depression itself as an "excuse."  Same way many people doubt when a woman cries rape.  How many more REAL disorders, violent acts, etc., will be minimized as "excuses" simply because of the few whose situation may actually fit that term?

During pregnancy, hormones are extremely unbalanced along with the other changes to the human body.  It is science, no assumption.  Breasts are larger, blood flow is increased causing sensitive gums and bloody noses, exhaustion happens due to the rapid change in the body, and chemical imbalances occur.  After delivery of the child or termination of the pregnancy, the body goes through yet another rapid change.

I will not deny, however, that there are women who may use their pregnancy as an excuse for abusive behavior.  BUT, most of these women show signs of this behavior way before getting pregnant.  Therapy focused on other issues may be in order.  I've heard of stories of women going completely asinine and breaking through windows to get to a husband who has locked himself inside the house just because of her abusive behavior.  That is a clear case of a woman who was in need of treatment prior to pregnancy.  No doubt postpartum will occur in this woman.