Out of the darkness and into the light: women's experiences with depression after childbirth.

Abstract

While becoming a mother can be a fulfilling and joyful experience, 10-28% of women are affected by an intense emotional response commonly called postpartum depression. This phenomenon is distinguishable from the "transitory baby blues" and is often characterized by crying, confusion, fatigue, depression, insomnia, difficulty caring for the baby and self, and suicidal thoughts. Research on postpartum depression has largely concentrated on investigating its possible causes and predictors utilizing quantitative methodology. Women are the experts of their own lives, yet their voices are missing in the existing body of knowledge about depression after childbirth. In this exploratory qualitative study, I used a feminist perspective to explore the experiences of eight women who had recovered from postpartum depression. A three-stage model emerged that demonstrated how women made sense of that time in their lives. The findings of this study provide a contextual picture of women's experiences with depression after childbirth. The knowledge created has important implications for informing the practice of professionals and the implementation of policy and programs that meet the needs of new mothers and their families.