Postnatal Depresstion - Facing the Paradox of Lost Happiness & Motherhood [Paperback]

Paula Nicolson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2001 | Series: Family Matters (Book 6)

Why do I feel so sad when I am so happy? I must be a bad mother.

Having a baby is usually a reason for happiness and celebration. Depression after childbirth causes emotional pain and suffering that lives side by side with the joy. That is the underlying paradox and it is that paradox that frequently leads to sense of bewilderment and guilt.

Through the stories of 24 women trying to negotiate their lives as mothers, Paula Nicolson helps women understand more about the realities of motherhood. Ninety percent of new mothers find themselves in tears and feeling "down" soon after giving birth and one in ten will become depressed during the first year. Postnatal Depression: Facing the paradox of loss, happiness and motherhood shows how better self-knowledge and a greater understanding of PND can help lift the burden and restore self esteem and harmony to mothers and their families.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"..It performs, in a womanlike fashion, the important job of depathologising postnatal sadness...this is the ideal.." (The Times, 3 December 2001)

"..this book should be a 'must read' for dads, grandparents, anyone in the caring profession and any women who is about to tackle the monumental task of becoming a mother." (www.familyonwards.com 14 February 2002)

"It recognises how things are today with families living far apart, and the ever increasing load a mother has to carry." (Young Minds Magazine, May/June 2002)

"...In the patients' library this book could be extremely useful..." (Family Practice, Vol.19, No. 4, 2002)

"…I would recommend this book to any pregnant woman,…Well done to the author!!…" (Forparentsbyparents.com, 28 March 2003)

"…I would like to end by recommending pages 170-172 to psycho-therapists dealing with depression across the board…and also to those dealing with other mental disorder." (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol.44, No. 6, 2003) 

"…a clear and practical book…" (The Sun, 16 September 2003)

"…definitely a book I would recommend for all." (Primary Health Care, September 2003)

“…gets to the heart of the matter…expecting and new mothers are shown how to take a more realistic approach…” (Stress News, April 2004)
 

From the Back Cover

Why do I feel so sad when I am so happy? I must be a bad mother.

Having a baby is usually a reason for happiness and celebration. Depression after childbirth causes emotional pain and suffering that lives side by side with the joy. That is the underlying paradox and it is that paradox that frequently leads to a sense of bewilderment and guilt.

Through the stories of 24 women trying to negotiate their lives as mothers, Paula Nicolson helps women understand more about the realities of motherhood. Ninety per cent of new mothers find themselves in tears and feeling 'down' soon after giving birth and one in ten will become depressed during the first year. Postnatal Depression: Facing the Paradox of Loss, Happiness and Motherhood shows how better self-knowledge and a greater understanding of PND can help lift the burden and restore self-esteem and harmony to mothers and their families.

"Paula Nicolson develops her now classic study of maternal depression to help women who are unhappy after childbirth understand, accept and survive the onslaught of conflicting emotions they experience" - Sheila Kitzinger

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471485276
• ISBN-13: 978-0471485278
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,887,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and confusing, July 9, 2002

By 

Tonya R. "amazoni" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Postnatal Depresstion - Facing the Paradox of Lost Happiness & Motherhood (Paperback)

[URL] is the website I maintain, so I do know a thing or two about the subject. The author seems to lack a true understanding of the biological aspect of postpartum mood disorders. Additionally, she gets "catty" about experts she disagrees with, even mentioning names. I would not recommend this book to anyone in need of support and info during a crisis with PPD.