Since COVID-19 was first recognized in late 2019, the virus has rapidly spread throughout the world. In an effort to mitigate the devastating effects of this virus, varying levels of “stay at home” orders have been implemented in most countries around the world. This has resulted in the closure of schools, daycares, workplaces, and…
#youarenotabadmother if you have OCD, anxiety, depression, trauma or grief. You have the right to receive assistance. Mothers with psychological distress or mental health issues usually feel guilty or ashamed about reaching out for the professional help they require. Let´s offer to help – let´s care for mothers. One out of five mothers may suffer…
by Carmela K Baeza, MD, IBCLC As I was looking at images of mothers with facemasks and their newborns, I kept wondering what kind of a shock this would be for the baby. Babies are wired to look at their parents´ faces and learn to read and to express emotions from birth. A perinatal…
Maternity is a time of deep transformation, both of the brain and of the psyche, and of course a physical feat of strength. This makes postpartum an intense path to travel, one that is better tread in the company of other women. And this is not simply something women crave: more and more scientific evidence…
A study published in the latest edition of Archives of Women’s Health has found that instrumental births (those requiring forceps, vacuum extraction, etc.) and cesarean sections are related to a higher number of psychological difficulties after birth – ranging from lack of adjustment to motherhood to post-traumatic stress disorder. To put these conclusions into perspective,…
It is well known that pregnancy is a psychologically transforming event and that in some cases it may activate unexpected difficulties at an emotional level. It is also known that stress, anxiety and depression may impact the baby´s development, elevate the risk of preterm birth and of mental health issues in the postpartum. Not much…
According to some sources, when a woman in Sparta (Ancient Greece) hadn’t gone into labour after nine months, other women would go to her house to berate her almost violently. They would hurl all the grievances in her face that they had kept to themselves during the pregnancy and the heated exchange usually triggered the…
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes a “positive childbirth experience” as a significant end point for all women undergoing labor. It defines a positive childbirth experience as one that fulfils or exceeds a woman’s prior personal and sociocultural beliefs and expectations, including giving birth to a healthy baby in a clinically and psychologically safe environment…
A recent study from the University of Louisiana (summarized below) has discovered that some mothers with postpartum depression have an “altered expression of oxytocin receptors”. Oxytocin is the hormone of love, human connection and wellbeing; it is produced at high levels during birth and breastfeeding and it is intimately involved in the mother-infant bond, as…
Some dyads (mother-infant pair) start their breastfeeding relationship in harsh circumstances. Frequently, due to medicalized births and unfavorable hospital routines, there are so many interferences to initiate breastfeeding that by the time mother and baby arrive home they are already using bottles and formula – despite mother having desired to exclusively breastfeed. These mothers often…
