When Motherhood Awakens Old Feelings: Postnatal Depression and the Mothers We Carry Within
Becoming a mother is often imagined as a time of immediate love, fulfilment and connection. For many women, however, the postnatal period can also bring exhaustion, anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt or a frightening sense of disconnection.
Postnatal depression affects approximately one in seven women following the birth of a baby. It may involve persistent low mood, loss of pleasure, irritability, hopelessness, difficulty sleeping even when the baby is asleep, feelings of worthlessness, or feeling disconnected from the baby and other people. From a psychodynamic perspective, becoming a mother can also awaken powerful feelings connected to a woman’s own experience of having been cared for.
