Postnatal depression can be an overwhelming and frightening thing for any new mums to go through.
And while it is important to bear in mind that every woman is affected differently, a new study has shown that mums, who take regular “time for themselves, when someone else looks after the baby” in the first six months after giving birth, are less likely to experience it.
The research, which was conducted by The Conversation and published in Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, looked at 1,500 women, and found that the prevalence of depression was just 6% in women who found time for themselves at least once a week.
“We initially thought the relationship between personal time and depression could be explained by other factors such as relationship status, or general practical and emotional support. There was indeed a strong relationship between measures of social support and how often women had time for themselves. However, even after taking these factors into account, the frequency of time for self significantly predicted maternal depression,” explained Dr Hannah Woolhouse, senior research officer.
Just under half of participants enjoyed regular alone time, and 15.2% never had personal time.
But it doesn’t have to be a trip to the spa or anything like that to feel the benefits – it’s the time away from minding Baby that helps.
In fact, of those 1,500 mums, many included having a long bath or shower, going to the hairdressers or just putting their feet up in front of the telly as personal time.
However, it is important to understand that this is not a quick fix, and mums should seek help if they are struggling after birth.
