In the discombobulation of postpartum, reassurance is what all new mothers need.
When sleep deprived and aching, when doubt spirals are common and overwhelm rife, a new mother will look to those who have mothered before her. There is nothing more comforting in the inevitable haze of milk and tears than someone saying: “I think you’re right, and you’re doing really well.”
While popularly considered a synonym for depression, there’s increasing social awareness of postpartum: the period after birth that doesn’t have a definitive end. Thankfully, we’re having more conversations about the hard parts of motherhood and, when we do, we provide emotional cushioning for what can be, and often is, an acute experience.
Many mothers – especially first-time mothers – are completely dumbfounded by the intensity of it. Yes, there’s joy and awe but just as prevalent is the wild concoction of uncertainty, doubt and grief. It’s not what most parents expect but it is biologically and psychologically normal.
Alongside a growing awareness of what is normal, and what is not, is advice shared on social media that is well-meaning but often not evidence-based. Advice should ideally come from one trusted perinatal health professional. Instead, it comes at mothers from all directions. It’s typically contradictory on the postnatal........