BENGALURU: Questions expecting and new mothers hear from husbands, family members and doctors are more often than not — ‘what are you eating, when are we scanning, are you getting sufficient nutrition’, and the like.
Other unanswered questions that plague the minds of these women include, ‘is it okay to feel tired or low all the time when you are pregnant? Is it okay to not feel a gush of love when you see your baby for the first time? Do I cry at the drop of a hat only because of hormones? Is there such a thing as worrying too much?’
White Swan Foundation (NGO) recently released an ebook titled ‘A Guide to Maternal Mental Health’, which attempts to answer the above, and more. “To appeal to the masses and make it reader-friendly, we scripted this illustrative book with help from cartoonists. It is important for people to know that perinatal mental health issues are treatable,” says Manoj Chandran, CEO, White Swan Foundation.
It is freely accessible on their website and written in collaboration with the perinatal mental health clinic at NIMHANS, psychiatrists, gynaecologists and obstetricians in Bengaluru.
Experts tell CE that some stressors include social pressure based on sex of the baby, self-doubt if one will be a good mother and body image issues post delivery due to pressure to get back in shape immediately.
Manoj adds, “Treatment rates are very low in India. The most crucial intervention is from family members. The father-to-be plays a key role. If he has failed to provide a supportive environment for the mother, it is due to lack of knowledge. If he is aware, he will be able to demand service from the obstetricians, who will, in turn, recommend experts.”
Contributor Dr Shaibya Saldanha, a gynaecologist, obstetrician and lactation consultant, says emotional and mental health issues pregnant women face are sidelined by assuming things like exhaustion during pregnancy is normal.
“Only when the woman’s behaviour is suicidal do doctors treat her for post-natal psychosis. Usually, doctor visits post delivery take place in the presence of three relatives with questions about the mother’s diet, motions, the baby’s weight, etc. No one asks the mother how she is feeling,” says Dr Shaibya.She says that the woman not eating or sleeping well, not taking care of herself and the cultural notion of sharing one’s problems only when another person asks are all signs of concern.
Readers can learn what to expect emotionally during pregnancy and when to seek help. In addition, it address postpartum depression, how the family can support the mother and a checklist to discuss with one’s doctor.
The guide is in English and will soon be translated into Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, English, Bengali and Malayalam. They are also working on ways to distribute physical copies. A free webinar on the same topic will be happening on June 22 at 4.30 pm on the foundation’s website.
According to the World health org
15.6% of pregnant women in developing countries experience a mental health disorder, depression being most common
In India, it is
estimated that one in five new mothers suffer postpartum depression
National mental health survey, 2016 points out that 90% of maternal mental health cases do not get treated