Postpartum Depression: The Role of Nurses Nursing Roles and Postpartum Depression Postpartum Depression: The Preventive and Interventional Roles of Nurses Postpartum depression is widely recognized as a significant health threat to the mother and the rest of the family, and thus to society, but the biggest threat is to the lifetime health prospects of the newborn infant. Given the health significance of postpartum depression, recent research about the risk factors for this condition,

, 2009, 239). When women begin to feel depressed, they often do not go find help or understand that this is an event that is more common than one would think. They tend to isolate their depression, which accelerates it even more. Advanced nurse practitioners and other nursing and clinical staff can help better provide for women by being accepting of their depression, rather than questioning it. Nursing staff can

Postpartum depression is a serious problem among women. Once thought of as a relatively minor phase within the postpartum cycle, it is now known that it can seriously impair the individual woman's ability to function under the stress of new parenthood and can seriously erode the family, at a point of foundational transition. Over the last twenty years doctors and the general public have demonstrated greater knowledge of the problem

It takes time, reading baby-care books, talks with the pediatrician, support groups with other mothers, and experience to know how to care for a child. And the maternally bonding feelings sometimes take weeks or months to develop. Perfect Baby. The fantasy that your baby will be beautiful in every way, sleep through the night, and never cry is exactly that -- a fantasy. And the thoughts that all your friends

Postpartum depression or postnatal depression is a term that describes the occurrence of moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth (although sometimes men are given this diagnosis when severe depression occurs after the birth of a child). This depression may occur soon after delivery and may linger up to a year or longer. In the majority of recognized cases the depression occurs within the first

The issue that is most often associated with the diagnosis of PPD is the time frame, however Records notes that there are major discrepancies between the maternity and psychiatric literature making a 2-12-month diagnosis difficult (Records pp). The subjects in Records's study described how their past abuse experiences affected their thoughts and view of their labor, delivery, and postpartum experiences (Records pp). Records revealed that "all of the subjects