LEARN: COMMUNICATION WITH WOMEN DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD 1

LEARN: Communication with Women During the Postpartum Period

Carrie S. Minns

Trent University
LEARN: COMMUNICATION WITH WOMEN DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD 2

Part of my health promotion project involved collecting information about womens postpartum

experiences and asking about challenges they may have had with changes in mood, attachment to

their children, and changes in lifestyle. An extremely meaningful experience was when I was

speaking with a mother in a program at Peterborough Family Resource Centre (PFRC) called

Families Connect. This is a program for vulnerable families (families with low/unstable

incomes, in at risk homesetc.) with children between the ages of 18 months and 4 years. I was

able to ask these mothers to reflect on their postpartum experiences, which was different than

what I was used to because normally I would be speaking with mothers while they are in their

postpartum period.

I had an extremely meaningful encounter with a mother who had experienced postpartum

depression with her second child and who had been attending a program at PFRC called Babies

First, which is the equivalent of Families Connect but for families from prenatal to 9 months.

This mother discussed her experience of postpartum depression with me and had told me that the

thing that helped her overcome her postpartum depression was attending a support group called

Life with a Baby is not what I Expected that PFRC runs each year. This was extremely good to

hear because the previous weeks at Babies First I had been promoting this support group and

providing information about it to mothers experiencing postpartum depression. Hearing this

amazing mother speak of her experiences overcoming postpartum depression really opened my

eyes to the impact a multidisciplinary support team, including a community health nurse can

have on their ability to overcome a difficult illness. Watching this mother joyfully interact with

her now two-year-old son and the clear pride she felt that she had overcome her postpartum

depression was extremely rewarding, and I will never forget this encounter.
LEARN: COMMUNICATION WITH WOMEN DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD 3

This mothers experience demonstrates the important role the community plays in

overcoming postpartum mood disorders. Postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mood

disorders all fall under the category of mental health within a community. Many social

determinants of health influence mothers experiencing postpartum mood disorders. Social

support networks, personal health practices and coping skills, health services, and healthy child

development are particularly influential on the mental health of a new mother. It is important

then for community health nurses and nursing students to pay close attention to these

determinants when addressing the issue of postpartum mood disorders. According to Glavin

(2012), the risk of developing postpartum depression was cut in half for women who received

support through peers or groups in their community. Another study done by Doucet, Letourneau,

and Robertson (2012) found that support groups for postpartum illnesses would help to

normalize their experiences, reduce feelings of isolation, and help them gain confidence in

raising their children.

There is extensive research supporting the claim support groups are extremely beneficial

in helping women overcome postpartum illnesses, and my encounter with a mother who had

attributed her recovery to her support group at PFRC further supports this claim. It has become

clear to me, through research and by witnessing mothers in their postpartum phases, that it is not

as simple as it seems to overcome postpartum depression. Postpartum illnesses are

underdiagnosed and undertreated, and many womens postpartum needs are not adequately

addressed due to the lack of reporting by mothers and the overwhelming stigma they feel

(Glavin, 2012). I have found that many mothers are less willing to speak about themselves

during their postpartum period, show feelings of guilt if they express that they are feeling
LEARN: COMMUNICATION WITH WOMEN DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD 4

overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. This, as well as a lack of knowledge and lack of health care

professional support contributes to mothers under reporting and in turn, never receiving

appropriate treatment for postpartum depression or other mood disorders (Glavin, 2012).

Fortunately, for the mother I had spoken with, she had started coming to PFRC, had

spoken with the community health nurse performing Edenborough postpartum depression

screens, and had been recommended the support group in this facility. It is a very small

percentage of mothers who access these services, and not many spaces are available. This

suggests that there needs to be more information about postpartum depression, anxiety, and other

mood disorders in the community. There needs to be an increased focus on maternal health

during the postpartum period, as this directly correlates with the health of an infant (Glavin,

2012).

After performing research about this issue, this changes how I discuss mothers

experiences with postpartum mood disorders in the future. I have had many conversations with

mothers about challenges or changes in mood they may be having or have had during the

postpartum period. The literature reviews and my encounter with the mother explains why I have

been unable to gather a significant amount of information from some mothers and why many

seem hesitant to share their experiences. For many women, they may have never heard of

postpartum depression before, they may think their sadness, feelings of being overwhelmed, and

high anxiety is just a normal part of being a new mother. For some, this may be the first time

they have really been asked to reflect on their mood, as this period in their lives is so heavily

focused on the health of their infant.

When speaking with the mother who had overcome her experience of postpartum

depression, she had a lot of knowledge about the illness, which made it easier for her to
LEARN: COMMUNICATION WITH WOMEN DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD 5

communicate with me her experiences. This has allowed me to reflect on how I approach

mothers who are currently experiencing postpartum illnesses. During previous conversations

with new mothers, I had taken a stance where I assumed that knowledge of postpartum mood

disorders was something common among mothers, and that they knew how common, but not

normal it was to experience low mood during the postpartum period. My new approach, when

speaking with new mothers about their postpartum experiences will be to find out what they

already know about postpartum mood disorders, and try to make them aware of how common

these experiences are.

This new perspective can be applied to the broader community, especially with

recommendations for the healthcare system when addressing postpartum illnesses. Professionals

who interact with mothers during their postpartum period, including community health nurses,

need to make women and their families more aware of postpartum mood changes (Glavin, 2012).

and should increase their focus on maternal mental health so mothers are more willing to report

and discuss changes in mood and any anxieties they may be having (Glavin, 2012). The higher

percentage of women reporting difficulties during this period, the more help they can receive

through interventions such as support groups and other services offered in their communities.

More awareness of postpartum illnesses will hopefully yield more support groups for women

like the one I encountered, and more health care professionals will be able to provide women

with the support they need.

References

Doucet, S., Letourneau, N., & Blackmore, E. R. (2012). Support needs of mothers who

experience postpartum psychosis and their partners. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic,

& Neonatal Nursing, 41(2), 236-245. doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2011.01329.x

Glavin, K. (2012). Preventing and treating postpartum depression in women a municipality

model. Journal of Research in Nursing, 17(2), 142-156. doi:10.1177/1744987111433447