Nursery World - Positive Relationships: A parent's guide to ... postnatal depression

New mothers worried about the unexpected way they feel after the birth of a baby can be reassured by advice from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

WHAT IS POST-NATAL DEPRESSION

Postnatal depression (PND) is what happens when a mother becomes depressed after having a baby. There may be an obvious reason, but often there is none. It can be particularly distressing when you have looked forward to having your baby throughout pregnancy. You may feel guilty for feeling depressed, or even feel that you can't cope with being a mother.

Around one in every ten women has PND after having a baby. Most cases of PND begin within a month of giving birth, but it can start up to six months later. PND can last for weeks or several months.

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