My recent Zero To Three journal (May 2009) arrived recently and I was so looking forward to reading it cover to cover, as I always do. The focus was on postpartum depression and while all of the articles were highly informative and insightful, I was very intrigued by an article that focused on postpartum depression in women who have struggled with infertility and have later become mothers. Ellen Olshansky (2009), provides a window into the emotional experience of new parents who have struggled with the challenges created by infertility. For some mothers, becoming a parent after infertility brings up feelings of immense joy as well as feelings of anxiety, fear and even depression. Frequently, these mothers are not able to express these feelings and when they do, friends and professionals alike often focus on how lucky they are and how happy they should be, especially given the challenges they’ve endured prior to becoming pregnant. While these responses are very well intended, the inability to express their conflicting and complicated emotions can often lead mothers to feel more isolated and ashamed.
Learning more about this topic has certainly helped my awareness in my work with parents and has been a valuable reminder of how important it is to get a good history from parents that includes questions related to pregnancies and infertility and how that may impact current experience and feelings. Helping service providers understand the complex emotions that are often experienced after infertility can help them provide support to mothers who may be struggling with fears, worries and depression. In addition, a greater awareness and acceptance of the mother’s experience and of her conflicted feelings can also help professionals assist family and friends in knowing how to best support the parents through this challenging time.
To read the full article:
Olshanksy, E. (2009). Parenting after infertility. Zero To Three, Vol 29, No. 5, pp 23-26. Washington DC. Available on the Zero To Three website: www.zerotothree.org.
For more information on this topic, and for links to additional resources, the website for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (www.asrm.org) provides information on the physical, psychological and societal issues related to infertility. It also has a great deal of printable brochures in English and Spanish on various topics related to infertility. Check it out and pass it on!