Expecting or New mother

What is a Postpartum Mood Disorder (PPMD)?
Could I have PPMD?
Common feelings and fears of women with PPMD
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What you can do to feel better
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Common feelings and fears of women with PPMD

Many women have unrealistic expectations as our society portrays idealized images of motherhood - TV commercials, books, and even parenting magazines depict mothers as selfless, happy, tireless, organized, keeping a perfectly neat house, and having a dinner ready for their hard working husbands. Mothers believe that giving birth, caring and bonding with a baby is a natural and fulfilling experience. When comparing themselves to these images women inevitably fall short and begin to think that they are bad mothers and that their feelings of anger, irritation, and fear are abnormal. This in turn leads to guilt, shame and isolation that, if unchecked, can spiral out of control. These are the things mothers often feel.

Guilt, thinking they are not a good enough mother
Anger and irritation
Shame for feeling and thinking the way they are
Thinking that they are the only ones feeling that way
Thinking that no one will understand
Fear of leaving the baby or of being with the baby
Fear of having the baby taken away by children's services
Fear of losing their identity