The motherhood mind: Why postpartum mental health needs more attention
Motherhood has historically been characterised as a time of absolute pleasure, a time when love is abundant and every moment is worth celebrating. However, frequently behind the smiles in photographs and congratulatory texts, many women assume these emotions and struggle with feelings they would have never anticipated such as sadness, worry, guilt, and an exhaustion that far exceeds the term.
The fact is, the postpartum mind alters as deeply as the body does. Postpartum mental health is still one of the most neglected areas of maternal care, even though as many as one in seven new mothers suffer from clinical depression or anxiety following the birth.
Beyond the Physical Recovery
Postpartum recovery is usually gauged in terms of how fast a woman’s body recuperates, the quality of baby’s feeding, or when she returns to her normal routine. What goes unsaid is the mental and emotional shift, the new responsibility, sleep deprivation, rollercoaster hormones, and loss of self that come together in one destination.
Hormonal adjustments following childbirth can bring about extreme emotional changes. Some women may experience this for a few days often referred to as “baby blues.” But when the melancholy intensifies, lasts longer, or starts affecting daily activities, it might be postpartum depression or anxiety.
The Silent Struggle
Most mothers hold back telling how they feel. They are still expected to remain grateful and radiant, rather than fragile or afraid. A few fear that revealing distress would make them appear “weak” or “unfit.” This silence can be risky. Untreated, postpartum depression can impair bonding with the baby, home life, and even future emotional well-being.
It’s worth knowing that postpartum mental illness is not a failure or lack of love, it’s a medical condition that needs care and compassion, the same way any other does.
Building Support Systems That Heal
Recovering from postpartum mental health difficulties requires more than medication or therapy - it needs compassion. Families, partners, and workplaces can be tremendous allies here. Sometimes it is all about asking “How are you doing?” and meaning in a caring way can be tremendously impactful.
The health system also needs to change. At postpartum checkups, mental health screening should occur regularly, much like weight or blood pressure screening. Providing access to peer-support groups and therapy as well as public education campaigns can make mothers feel less isolated.
The postpartum phase is as psychological as it is physical. When mothers are experiencing persistent sadness, anxiety, or disconnection after giving birth, that deserves support and attention not silence. Battling these issues does not undercut the strength of motherhood; it enhances it.
By incorporating mental screening into standard postnatal care, open family talk, and the normalisation of professional assistance, society can provide assurance to every woman that she is not alone on this journey.
Motherhood does not have to be achieved at a mother’s expense. Prioritising postpartum mental health is not only about avoiding illness it’s about enabling emotional recovery, strength, and dignity during one of the most life-altering periods.
(The writer is a head of department - Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Aster Whitefield Hospital)
